DIVISION OF DAIRYING AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 

 J. Peter Griffin, Director 



Both consumers and dairy farmers benefit from the strict health and sanitation 

 laws and regulations affecting the supply of milk in the Commonwealth. Under the law, 

 dairy farms in the state selling milk here as well as those out-of-state shipping 

 milk into Massachusetts must be inspected and licensed. This program helps ensure 

 a wholesome product to consumers and a continually desirable and marketable product 

 for farmers. 



The flavor of milk is quality checked by another departmental program carried 

 out under the Division of Markets. 



The number of dairy farms licensed by the Division of Dairying in the last ten 

 years has dropped by about 22 percent. This decrease is offset, however, by an 

 increase in the size of existing farms. 



The geographical area covered in the inspection of these farms has also 

 broadened farther and farther, particularly into New York state. Larger farms with 

 more equipment that is also more complicated, and fewer inspectors with greater 

 mileage to cover, have made our work extremely frustrating. 



We made approximately 7500 "original farm inspections" and approved 79 percent 

 during the 1981 fiscal year. Those farms not approved were later reinspected and 

 most were approved. Others went out of business or changed to markets not requiring 

 Massachusetts licensing. We have attempted to approve or recommend exclusion on 

 the first reinspection. This has worked reasonably well at saving time and expense, 

 and has helped in upgrading the overall farm conditions. 



Our four mastitis sample collectors sampled approximately 750 herds, 46,000 cows 

 and collected approximately 181,000 milk samples which they delivered to the diagnostic 

 laboratory at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. These samples were analyzed 

 and the results forwarded to the herd owners and their veterinarians. If the farmer 

 follows the recommendations resulting from the laboratory analysis of his milk samples, 

 he can save hundreds of dollars that otherwise would be lost to reduced milk production, 

 reduced cow value, and veterinary expense. 



' Our USDA work has been curtailed this year due to the shortage of manpower. We 

 were unable to complete a request from the USDA for resampling Non-Fat Dry Milk in Lawrenc 

 during the month of August. The Syracuse office of USDA agreed to do the work until we 

 were again able to, or until the cooperative agreement was terminated. We have continued, 

 however, to do the weighing and sampling of dry milk being offered to the Commodity Credit 

 Corporation by Agri-Mark, Inc. from their West Springfield plant. The income from this 

 work for the year was $6,537.36, down from the previous year income of $9,664.30. 



A total of 73 milk plants were inspected by tne Division this year. Twenty-five of 

 these were pasteurization plants located outside the Commonwealth. Others were receiving 

 plants or stations located throughout the Massachusetts milk shed. 



Division personnel certified by the U.S. Public Health Service as milk sanitation 

 rating officers completed all industry requests for interstate milk shipper ratings. 





The appropriated budget for the fiscal year was $266,066. 



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