Q. Who produces the milk for Bega?
A. 500 farms from NSW & VIC produce milk for Bega
Q. how many dairy cows are there in the Bega Valley?
A. There are about 20,000 cows in the valley, herd sizes range from 80 cows to over 600.
Q. What kinds of cows supply milk for Bega?
A. Holstein Friesian, Jersey and crosses of these are the predominant breeds. Holstein Friesians are the black and white cows, and jerseys are honey-brown.
Q. How much milk in produced every year?
A. Bega milk intake is approximately 700 million litres. Volume each year depends on climatic conditions and rainfall.
Q. What do the cows eat?
A. The cows main fodder is pasture which they graze. Surplus pasture is conserved a shay or silage for use as a supplement when pasture growth is reduced by cold or dry weather. Most farmers give their cows additional feed in the bails. This is usually rolled grain, either barley, oats, wheat or triticale.
Q. Are the pastures fertilised?
A. yes. Pastures require regular applications of fertilisers containing phosphate and potash. When extra feed is required, nitrogen fertilisers give pastures an extra boost.
Q. Are the pastures irrigated?
A. Many farms are irrigated during periods of low rainfall. Water sources are rivers, streams and farm storage dams.
Q. Who delivers the milk from the farms to Bega?
A. Independent contractors collect the milk from the farms and deliver it to Bega in stainless steel road tankers. Tankers have capacity to carry up to 29,000 litres.
Q. Is all the milk made into cheese?
A. No. Some of the milk collected is used for the fresh milk market in Canberra via our joint venture arrangement with Capitol Chilled Foods (Australia) Pty Ltd.
Q. What volume of dairy products is produced at Bega?
A. Bega produces over 200,000 tonnes of dairy products.
Q. Are there any by-products when manufacturing cheese?
A. Yes. Butter and whey powder are manufactured as a result of our cheese manufacturing operations.