The province is pausing its plan to begin fining goat-milk producers for high somatic cell counts in the milk they market and now wants to conduct more research before proceeding.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness had planned to levy fines for milk that contains more than 1.5 million somatic cells per mililitre. They would also have faced a ban on selling their milk until somatic cell counts (SCC) came within limits it established.
Ontario Goats’ animal health and research committee presented international research on dairy goat SCC and its impacts on animal health and milk quality. Together with processors and producers, they consulted with OMAFA officials about the unique properties of SCC in goat milk. This informed the pause.
“By penalizing goat milk producers with unsustainable standards, the regulations will stifle a vital and growing sector,” wrote dairy goat producer Marlie Vanderlip in the Change.org petition launched in December.
She wrote that “Ontario, renowned for its progressive agricultural policies, must recognize that the unique characteristics of goat milk require tailored standards.”
A goat veterinarian said goats store 70 per cent of their milk in the gland cistern. This milk contains a mixture of cellular debris such as cytoplasmic particles and epithelial cells. In contrast, cattle store milk in the alveolar tissues, resulting in cleaner milk.
These non-pathological factors account for up to 50 to 90 per cent variance in somatic cell count in an individual doe, one goat veterinarian said.
