"The Farmer Doesn't Need More Milk — The Farmer Needs More Money" — Rauf Mailov, Josera

According to the expert, the current economic situation increases pressure on production costs, thus forcing farmers to reconsider their expenses and management approaches.

Central to Rauf Mailov's presentation is the concept of life effectiveness — the volume of milk produced per day of an animal's life.

The speaker noted that in many farms this indicator is significantly below potential, leading to direct economic losses: "We are not achieving the results that allow us to move to the next stage of productivity selection," he emphasized.

• FV — 13 kg/day of life,

• SB — 15 kg/day of life.

However, a significant number of farms face an excessively short productive lifespan of cows, creating "unused potential," distorting herd economics, and increasing the cost of a liter of milk.

Rauf Mailov highlighted the fundamental gap between the expectations of the state and the real goals of the farmer: "The state needs more milk, the dairy plant needs more milk. But as a farmer, I don't need more milk — I need more money."

He reminded that an increase in gross milk yield by itself does not improve the farm's economy — if expenses grow faster than income, the farm remains in the red.

Rauf Mailov paid special attention to financial losses associated with the premature disposal of animals. In particular, the costs of raising a replacement heifer average 1,500 euros, making every management mistake in reproduction extremely costly.

The speaker linked the low profitability of farms to the short productive lifespan of cows: "Our cow should live as long as possible because we have no alternative. By the time I get the first liter of milk, she is already at a 1,500 euro deficit — these are the costs of raising."

The expert directly pointed out where the real reserves for reducing costs lie: "Don't think that an extra 100 kg of milk will solve the problem. More milk does not mean more profit."

The reasons for the short productive lifespan, according to the expert, often lie in management decisions:

• feeding problems,

• husbandry errors,

• diseases,

• untimely detection of estrus,

• low calf quality.

Where to Look for Savings

Rauf Mailov emphasized that cost reduction is impossible without understanding when and where they occur: "Dairy farms don't have spare money to burn. Every kilogram of milk must be produced efficiently."

The expert noted that improving life cycle efficiency is one of the most accessible and economically significant reserves for most Kazakhstani farms.

Concluding his speech, Rauf Mailov addressed all industry representatives: "Everyone in this room has one goal — the farmer's money. If the farmer survives, everyone will have a job. If the farmer does not, no one will."