Local dairy farm successful with pasture-based production
Alida de Beer
The George dairy farm Skimmelkrans, owned by the Kuyler family, was the venue for a media information session hosted by Nestlé last week Wednesday.
The company wanted to demonstrate the high premium they put on the quality of milk that is used for their Nespray milk powder. It has had a relationship with the farm since its inception 60 years ago and in recent years this has grown into a partnership through which Skimmelkrans has been developed into a world-class farm where the majority of cows is pasture based and milk free from antibiotics or hormones is produced.
According to George Kuyler, the fourth generation farmer on Skimmelkrans, their 1 050 cows produce about 24 000 litres of milk per day, which is a far cry from the humble beginnings in 1921 when the farm yielded 200 litres a day. Skimmelkrans recently acquired neighbouring land to expand. Nestlé provided the Kuylers with a reliable market for their milk over the years and assisted the growth and development of the farm into the major supplier it is today. Members of the media were taken on a walkabout to see the state-of-the art milking parlour and pastures that are managed on a scientific basis.
Said Kuyler, "Grass-based diets are known to provide better milk yields with higher milk fat levels. Much care is taken to ensure that the cows being milked are free of any antibiotics or hormones, further ensuring the superior quality of the milk. Each of the 37 farm workers also takes care to maintain their daily routine to avoid unnecessary stress to the cows with any kind of changes or shifts in their daily lives."
Nestlé also assisted Kuyler by bringing in irrigation consultants to help him work out a sustainable water management plan. This included a grey water system. It has helped make Skimmelkrans one of the country's most environmentally advanced dairy farms that recently received the 2018 National Stewardship Award from the Dairy Mail.
According to Nestlé's business executive officer of dairy, Adedoja Ekeruche, they believe in full traceability of the milk used in the manufacturing of their products. They work with the farmers and nutritional scientists to standardise the milk that goes into the Nespray full milk powder. This is done by supporting farmers in delivering to world-class standards and practices. She said the Nestlé Nespray factory in Mossel Bay receives about 400 tons of fresh milk from surrounding farms daily, some of which are in remote locations and produce a limited amount of milk. In this way, outlying communities can also be uplifted.
Nestlé believes that the availability of their fortified Nespray milk powder can play a role in promoting optimal child nutrition in South Africa where a large percentage of school-age children suffer from malnutrition.