Effect of Management Practices on Quality of Milk

Milk quality plays a decisive role in ensuring consumer safety, improving processing efficiency, and determining the profitability of dairy enterprises. Although genetics and physiology define the baseline composition of milk, the quality available at the farm level is predominantly shaped by management practices. These include milking hygiene, udder health programs, housing and bedding conditions, feeding and nutritional strategies, milking systems and equipment maintenance, and the training and knowledge of farmers. This research paper synthesizes global research evidence to critically examine how management practices affect hygienic and compositional quality indicators such as somatic cell count (SCC), total bacterial count (TBC), fat, protein, lactose, and casein fractions. Evidence demonstrates that integrated management combining hygiene, mastitis control, housing cleanliness, feeding stability, and proper milking equipment maintenance consistently enhances milk quality. Nonetheless, challenges remain, especially in smallholder contexts where limited resources constrain adoption of best practices [5].