Dairy industry in Brazil seeks quality and global competitiveness

The 13th Brazil South Symposium on Dairy Farming, which began this week with the Western Center of Veterinarians and Zootechnicians (Nucleovet), brought to the fore fundamental discussions on the quality and competitiveness of Brazilian dairy products. Among the lectures that marked the first day of the event, one that stood out was given by José Pantoja, a doctor in Epidemiology of Bovine Mastitis and Milk Quality, who addressed the topic “SCC in Brazil: why is it so difficult to reduce it?”. During the presentation, the specialist explored the impacts of somatic cell count (SCC) on milk quality, a crucial metric that reflects the health of the herd and directly influences the safety and durability of the product. Recent data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), released in February 2024, indicate a national CCS average of 531 thousand cells per milliliter, the highest level recorded since 2013 by the Brazilian Milk Quality Network (RBQL). According to Pantoja, ...