PROJECT IS CO-FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION
PHARE CBC/INTERREG IIIA

About the project:

Project “Milk hygiene from cow to market – MLEKO” was carried out by Koprivnica Križevci County in cooperation with PORA Regional Development Agency of Podravina and Prigorje, Croatian Livestock Centre, College of Agriculture at Križevci and Institute of Agriculture and Forestry Ptuj. Project was implemented and financed within the framework of cross-border cooperation between Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia, PHARE CBC INTERREG IIIA Neighbourhood Programme 2004-2006. The rest was co-financed by partners: Koprivnica Križevci County 25%, Croatian Livestock Centre 15,53% and College of Agriculture at Križevci 4,10%.

The main objective of the project was to establish cross-border cooperation in the field of dairy production, to exchange knowledge and experience and ensure the higher quality of milk by involving farmers in the process of lifelong learning.

Specific project objectives were the following:

• to establish cross-border cooperation in education in the field of agriculture and cooperation with Slovenian farmers
• to involve farmers in the process of lifelong learning
• to exchange knowledge and experience and to apply principles of good practices in dairy production.

Target group consisted of 120 farmers – dairy farmers from Koprivnica Križevci County, who actively participated in the implementation process by attending workshops, study visits and the model of applying good hygiene practices in dairy farming, applied in the EU.

The final outcomes of the project are results of microbiological analysis and milk somatic cell counts estimated on the basis of 1200 milk somatic cell counts and 7920 microbiological analysis in 120 milk farms, Good hygiene practices guide and Farmers’ Guide.

Project involved the following activities:

• 12 workshops for the farmers
• consultations with individual farmers
• three study visits to the domestic and foreign dairy farms with the objective of meeting good hygiene practice in the dairy production
• creation of Good Hygiene Practices Guide and Farmers’ Guide.