What's happened to the milk supply?

[joelle]

/|\ yes as you say 《panic buying/hoarding》
One person mentions the word 《shortage》 and everybody rushes to buy more than what they usually get or need
Typical

[joelle]

/|\ yes as you say 《panic buying/hoarding》
One person mentions the word 《shortage》 and everybody rushes to buy more than what they usually get or need, hence empty shelves.
Look what happened in the UK with toilet paper during Covid period !!
Typical

[wenshidi]

I am pretty staggered to learn that Thailand produces 3,500 tons of milk every day. That is much more than I expected.
I was under the impression that the big long eared Asians were not ideal for milking. Do they have the popular milking breeds here too, in this climate?

Also the promise of another 50,000 acres of grass does not sound promising. Better than feedlots for sure, but how much more jungle will be removed to grow all that grass?

[PeteC]

...... Do they have the popular milking breeds here too, in this climate?.....

Yes, Chokchai in Korat has been at it with normal western dairy cows since the late 1960's. I think they were the model all the others copied concerning milk production here.

https://farmchokchai.com/home/#milk

https://farmchokchai.com/corporate/about-us/

[HHTel]

Thailand have had dairy cattle since the 50's. There are fresian, zebu and a cross of both.
There are around 600,000 dairy cattle here so no small matter.

There are a couple of dairy farms in/near Hua Hin developed with the help of the old king. Raw milk is for sale at 16 baht a litre.

Wenshidi, if you travel around the north you will come across herds of fresians. The black and white ones we're used to back home.

[Big Boy]

Wenshidi, if you travel around the north you will come across herds of fresians. The black and white ones we're used to back home.

Yes, i've seen quite a few out near Pala-U in the past.

[HHTel]

There are still people who insist that ALL milk in Thailand is reconstituted from imported powder.

[Nereus]

If you are really interested the follow may help:

https://www.dairyglobal.net/industry-an ... ry-sector/

And if you are really really really interested the follow wil take a bit longer to read:

India immigrants introduced dairy farming to Thailand around 1910. For much of the first half of the century, farming operations remained scattered near the Bangkok urban centre. Milk yields per dairy buffalo or cow were low, at 2–3 kg per day. Commercial operations, including milk processing, became only significant after a royal visit of the King and the Queen of Thailand to Denmark in 1960. Consequently, cooperative regulations were enacted and, with assistance from the Government of Denmark, a dairy farm cooperative project was launched in Saraburi province. The Dutch Government also participated in the effort, providing a grant of 23.5 million baht and a technical supervisor.

The Thai-Danish Dairy Farm was inaugurated and began operating on 17 January 1962 (later designated as National Dairy Cow Day). In 1971, the Thai-Danish Dairy Farm was handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) and became a state enterprise called the Dairy Promotion Organization of Thailand (DPO). The DPO operated then as now with four objectives: i) train farmers on dairy farming techniques, feed management and diseases of dairy animals; ii) develop and produce cross-breed dairy cows suitable for the Thai environment; iii) produce dairy products from raw milk; and iv) promote greater milk consumption in Thailand.


https://www.fao.org/3/i0588e/I0588E10.h ... 0blood.%20.

As far back as when I was a teenager growing up on a dairy farm in Australia, my father used to sell young dairy heifers for export to Thailand!

[STEVE G]

...... Do they have the popular milking breeds here too, in this climate?.....

Yes, Chokchai in Korat has been at it with normal western dairy cows since the late 1960's. I think they were the model all the others copied concerning milk production here.

https://farmchokchai.com/home/#milk

https://farmchokchai.com/corporate/about-us/

I like the milk from Chokchai farms, it tastes better than a lot of the supermarket milk in Europe.

[caller]

I see from the link avove, that the farm was founded by a Dr. Chokchai. I'm glad I saw that, as the name has always puzzled me, as the actual town of Chokchai is far away from the farm, just south of Korat.

I stop there when up that way, on the way back to Bkk, as my other half likes to buy something from there. I like their burgers! Another thing the link mentions is their 'famous' curry puffs. I wouldn't bother, they are okay, but always lacking in the main ingredient.

[GroveHillWanderer]

There are a couple of dairy farms in/near Hua Hin developed with the help of the old king. Raw milk is for sale at 16 baht a litre.

Do you have the locations (say, Google maps) for any of them?

[HHTel]

Sorry, I can't help there. A few years ago if you travelled to Cha-am staying on the Klong road (past Palm Hills) there used to be a sign on the left directing to a dairy farm. Can't remember the name and I don't know if it's still trading. If I'm up there again I'll make a point of looking for it.

[HHTel]

It does appear that the milk shortage has passed. Over the last 3 or 4 days, the 7/11's have been stocked as normal. What I have noticed is that there are more 'black top' bottles. It's good milk but in the past was not always available.

[Big Boy]

As I've been saying all along, it's luck of the draw. Mrs BB has just come back from a tour of local 7-11s. She found one bottle of white top Meiji. So the shortage is still with us.

[caller]

Well, before I spent a week in Bkk, I was only able to buy 2 of those very small bottles of milk in Bluport. When I next went there when milk was needed, they had a full range of Chok Chai low fat milf, my usual choice, and other products from Chok Chai, but nothing else, so all was well for me, at least. When I returned from Bkk on Monday, and then drove to Bluport for some shopping, they had a cabinet full of the 3 main brands they stock, by size and variety.

I did wonder if things had returned to normal, as all the signs about the shortfall had been removed as well. Time will tell, I guess.