The Western Milk Pool along with the eastern pools have agreed to harmonize the somatic cell analysis in raw milk to international standards. This initiative was driven by the Canadian Dairy Commission and the change will allow Canadian data to be comparable with global industry.
Starting mid-August 2021, all electronic cell counters used by Canadian laboratories doing milk recording (individual cows) or payment (bulk tanks) testing will be calibrated using local standards that are traceable to the international certified reference material. This change will likely result in a decrease of 4 to 6% on published results, overall, the constraints for producers will decrease slightly.
- A slight decrease in the percentage of cases that are above the 400,000
- A slight increase in the percentage of cases that qualify for a low cell count bonus (depending on local regulations).
If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Harris at kharris@bcmilk.com