Milk Production Systems and Extension Work: Promoting a Dynamic Local Management of Collective Milking Parlours

The paper describes an action-research project involving milk producers in the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro region, Northern Portugal, who fall between the low-input to traditional agriculture. The major concerns of the study were 1 to compare farm production systems in the area, in order to understand their global functioning and environmental impact, (2) to identify major bottlenecks for the improvement of quality in small scale milk production, and (3) to test the potential of participatory extension work involving quality milk production, leading to new ways of managing problems and change in rural areas. The project demonstrated that there was a broad field for extension work, focused on such matters as animal management and hygiene, with potential positive impacts in terms of milk quality, and better income and quality of life for small farmers. This will help maintain populations in the rural areas, avoiding further desertification, and preserve the environment which has been sustained through the existing low-input and traditional farming systems