A new system allows 40 cows to be milked at the same time, instead of 24 as before. In addition, next year the company will begin producing alfajores, will add a store in Carrasco and will sell franchises.
At the Talar dairy production facility, located at kilometer 10 of Route 12 in Laguna del Sauce (Maldonado), they are undergoing a major change. Their new dairy farm, which has been in operation for two months, has the capacity to milk 40 cows simultaneously – almost double the previous one – and was brought from Sweden and is unique in the region, the company director, Juan Manuel López, son of businessman Juan Carlos López Mena, owner of the dairy farm, explained to Café & Negocios. It is a computerized system that works like a kind of merry-go-round where the animals are brought in for milking. “It is all automatic. The cow enters through a door that opens with a chip and through a computer you know which cow it is and how much milk it gives on average, a kind of history of the animal. If the operator sees any defect, he marks it on the machine to which the animal is connected and when the milking is finished – which lasts ten minutes – it goes directly to a corridor with automatic doors and sensors that divert it to be attended to by the veterinarian,” said López during the tour he made with Café y Negocios through the Maldonado facilities. The investment was US$ 2 million and allows for milking up to 1.500 animals per day, unlike the previous one that allowed 800. As new animals are incorporated, both dairy farms will be put into operation with the aim of producing 80.000 liters of milk daily (currently 30.000 are produced). Among the projects for 2016 is the production of alfajores, for which they have already purchased the machinery in Argentina. “We were waiting to have the raw material (our own dulce de leche) that is released in two months,” said López. Another project is to open a new location in Carrasco, which will be added to the one they already have in the Agricultural Market of Montevideo (MAM), and sell franchises. A spa for cows
Talar has 850 Holstein dairy cows, which give an average of 35 liters of milk per day. The animals are located in an enclosed area, which has a rubber floor so they don't hurt themselves, fans to alleviate the heat and artificial "scratchers" so they don't miss their natural habitat for even a second. "In the fields they use the trees and here we implemented this. They fight to come and scratch themselves," jokes López. The executive added that saying that it is a quality product refers to the fact that "all traceability is carried out from the feeding of the cow, which is planted in the field, to the production of the products that go to the table." López also explained that they work with a tabulated system, where the animal is given the necessary balanced feed to ensure that the milk it will give is of quality. "The normal thing in dairy farms is that it is pastoral, that the animal is free in the field and eats when it wants. Our system has the advantage that the animal has a perfect diet. "It's like being in a spa, relaxing, eating what you need," said the executive. The establishment has a "maternity ward" where the cows that are going to give birth are kept. There they also set up a mini dairy farm to extract the colostrum, which will later be part of the calves' diet. Photo: M. UMPIERREZ
Quality, the key word
The farm in Fernando is divided into four sectors. On one side is the dairy farm, on the other the processing plant, the grain reception, storage and ration area and the last one where soy expeller is made, which is then given as part of the feed to the animals. Around 180 people work there, including operators, veterinarians and engineers. “Our products are not the cheapest, but they are good. Milk is the most expensive – it costs $60 per litre, not including the container – but drinking a glass of Talar milk is more valuable than drinking a litre of the other because it has Omega 3, calcium and natural proteins produced by feeding the cows,” explained López.
900.000 This is the number of liters of milk that Talar produces per month. Part of this quantity is used to make its products. The number of products that Talar makes has been increasing. A couple of weeks ago, it launched a chocolate milk and in two months it will launch dulce de leche. Both premium products are offered in glass containers. It will also launch a limited edition of parmesan cheese and a parrillero cheese. From Uruguay to the worldAccording to Juan Manuel López to Café y Negocios, although they are not currently exporting their products, there are several advanced projects that could be completed in a short time. Next week they will travel to Paraguay to negotiate with an interested businessman. The director of Talar confirmed that they also have projects to place the merchandise in Argentina, China, the United States and Panama.
SOURCE: elobservador.com.uy
