Padang Panjang To Turn Milk Into Cheese

Padang Panjang, (Antaranews Sumbar) - Padang Panjang, West Sumatra plans 10 to 20 percent of dairy cattle production in the area to be processed into cheese products.

Head of Animal Husbandry and Animal Health at the local Department of Food and Agriculture, Wahid in Padang Panjang, on Tuesday, said that the average of cow milk production per day is 1,300 to 1,500 liters.

"Up to two days ahead, milk processing business practitioners begin traininh in the development of dairy products into cheese. After this training, we plan 10 to 20 percent of milk production processed into cheese," he explained.

However, in the early stages of production, after the implementation of the training, it would pay attention to the condition of milk sales first.

"We also see the way to sale milk, which is not marketed. It is processed into cheese. We estimate to market it this month," he noted.

He said milk is not usually marketed entirely during long school holidays and during fasting month. It amounts to 50 to 65 percent of average daily milk production.

"The initial plan is only 10 to 20 percent only," he remarked.

In 2018, he said, the focus of livestock activities lies in the expansion of dairy products and marketing which is one form of its realization by training the development of dairy products in collaboration with Center for Postharvest Research and Development in Bogor.

So far, dairy products that have been able to produce by business actor in Padang Panjang are yogurt, kefir, milk candy, milk pie, ice cream and others.

Cow milk processing businessmen from six cities and districts in West Sumatra will learn to produce mozarella cheese, gouda and nata de coco in Padang Panjang, Tuesday.

According to the Chief of Livestock Production Division of Padang Panjang Food and Agriculture Agency, Yuliati Desi, the cheese-making training aims to expand the market so as to encourage economic improvement of business actors.

The training includes materials and practices of making gouda cheese, making cream cheese, making mozarella by using a machine and manually and making nata de cocowhich is the rest of the cheese production process. (cha)