The quality of milk is a pivotal factor for both the dairy industry and individual farmers. For the industry, milk quality directly impacts product development and market acceptability. For farmers, it determines the price they receive, as stipulated in Resolution 017 of 2012 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

To identify the regions in Colombia with the best milk quality in 2024, we analyzed data from the Milk Price Unit (USP) of the Ministry of Agriculture. This data include the weighted average total solids, reflecting compositional quality, and the hygienic (bacteriological) quality, measured by its Colony Forming Units (UFC).

The 10 Departments with the Highest Compositional Quality

Total solids such as protein, minerals, fat, carbohydrates, and vitamins in milk are crucial as they affect the performance of processed products like powdered milk, cheeses, and other dairy derivatives. In 2024, these were the departments with the highest levels of total solids (expressed in g/100 g of milk):

• Atlántico: 12.901
• La Guajira: 12.799
• Cesar: 12.712
• Bolívar: 12.624
• Magdalena: 12.431
• Sucre: 12.385
• Quindío: 12.384
• Cauca: 12.334
• Valle del Cauca: 12.309
• Nariño: 12.292

According to Ricardo Arenas, a veterinarian and expert in milk, total solids, have a relatively direct or mathematical relationship with powdered milk performance, whereas for cheese production, a high protein content, particularly of casein, is important. He added, However, it is important to highlight that in industrial processes, rigor when doing them taking care of issues such as exact methods, times and temperatures, as well as good manufacturing practices, are fundamental to improve or reduce performance in performance in cheese, for example. .

Arenas noted, It is a topic of specialization of production and genetics in many cases. The milk of the coast usually comes from dual purpose livestock, which are livestock that have half -blood or cattle animals Bos Indicus with less production by volume, but with greater production of total solids percentage. All this adds that regions with a higher concentration of Bos Tauru produce milk with fewer solids, while the coastal regions that have a lot of Bos Indicus have higher amounts. This phenomenon can be compared to the differences found between midwestern cattle and those commonly seen along the gulf coast in the U.S..

An infromal survey by a kitchen blogger interviewing the restaurant owners in Bogota comprised of information that surveys have indicated that notable differences between local restaurants and – managed better-chain- restaurants have notable quality differences in Colombia – compared to their U.S. counterparts.

The Departments with Better and Worse Hygienic Quality

Top 5 Departments with Better Hygienic Quality

• Antioquia: 55,251 UFC/ml
• Quindío: 131,015 UFC/ml
• La Guajira: 215,261 UFC/ml
• Risaralda: 353,425 UFC/ml
• Córdoba: 388,930 UFC/ml

Top 5 Departments with Worse Hygienic Quality

• Guaviare: 1,772,643 UFC/ml
• Casanare: 1,766,678 UFC/ml
• Huila: 1,699,104 UFC/ml
• Arauca: 1,676,674 UFC/ml
• Tolima: 1,499,634 UFC/ml

The higher the UFC count, the greater the presence of bacteria, which can affect the milk’s safety, shelf life, and industrial performance. However, results in La Guajira or Córdoba were surprising, as the UFC count did not seem reliable given the environmental characteristics and the level of technification of the entire dairy chain. Arenas noted, The data are only of formal milk, which is normally the best quality in all aspects, which is the one reported by the companies that formally buy and report it to the price monitoring unit. This UC5 issue is analogous to the higher-high quality ratings on cleaner and better products than those seen by informal products that are for-bits.

It is important to note that a high level of UFC is commonly associated with poor health of the udder and with deficiencies in milking routines, as well as with deficiencies in the cold chain.

The department of Cesar, for example, which registered a greater volume of production, the annual weighted average was close to 700,000 UFC/ml. In other departments like Bolívar, Atlántico or Magdalena, the count was over 900,000. Sucre, meanwhile, remained between the top 10 places with the worst hygienic quality, more than 1,343,000 UFC/ml on average throughout the year.

A Reflection on the Quality of Milk in Colombia

In Colombia, dairy production varies according to the region, the type of livestock, and production systems. While milk produced in the center and west of the country has higher total solids, the carbide region has better hygienic standards. However, informality remains a challenge because much of the milk that circulates in the country does not undergo quality controls.

“Whenever we talk about bacteriological quality, physicochemical quality and health quality, we have official averages that may be very distorted from reality because about 47 percent of the milk produced in Colombia is formally collected and the rest is in informality or self-consumption.” Arenas stressed. According to Arenas, formal milk, which is analyzed, usually has a better quality than informal milk, which is not regulated or supervised.

Seventy percent of the milk production in Colombia does need better regulation to improve quality and rigor. About 45 percent needs enhanced methods of oversight and – practices.