Assessment of the Present Status of Milk Handling and Management Practices in Some Areas of Bangladesh

Milk contamination by dairy workers' spoiled hands, unclean utensils, microbes, and polluted water has caused many milk-borne epidemics. Most milk-borne zoonoses are also contracted by drinking infected milk. Bangladesh lacks milking hygiene and farmer awareness, and the milk cleanliness of dairy farmers awareness and practices in different regions was accessed. This study was aimed at documenting the present milking and management practices of dairy producers in particular districts of Bangladesh. From June 2020 to June 2022, 300 small dairy cow owners in twelve areas were surveyed using a preset questionnaire. Results revealed that male respondents (59.5%) outnumbered female respondents (41.33%) across various age categories. Most farmers milked animals at the shed and washed their hands before milking. Over half of dairy farmers cleansed the udder and teat before milking. More than two-thirds of farmers let the calf suckle before and after milking, while 98.02 percent used concentrate feed for teat massage. Most farmers (95.58%) manually milked cows twice daily. The majority of farmers sold their milk (77.25%) rather than drink it (10.17%). The study found that 93.92 percent of milkmen cleaned the milking pail using water, while 3.5-2.5 percent utilized sand, ash, or detergent. Only 53.66% of dairy farmers washed their cows' udders and teats after milking, which may not be aware of potential contamination from dipping teats in sterile cream. Mastitis prevention was not practiced by 85.42 percent of the respondents. Four to eight percent of producers know about antibiotics, milk adulteration, milk safety, and food safety issues. The application of scientific management approaches to milking is still lacking in the study areas. Therefore, training programs on improved milking management procedures can help farmers produce clean milk, increase dairy animal production, and increase farming income.