Wastewater management and on-farm dairy processing

Small-scale speciality cheese factories, in association with model dairy farms, can serve an important role in marketing for the dairy industry. As these enterprises expand they are required to manage increasing volumes of farm and factory waste - volumes that can overtax waste management systems. In order to determine the needs of the industry a survey was conducted, with the information gained being used to model waste management system requirements for sustainable expansion. The results of the survey revealed a marked diversity in these enterprises, but the small number of case studies led to qualitative, rather than quantitative, analysis. The need for integration of water and wastewater management with farm planning was an essential outcome of the study which emphasised the need for measurement, performance monitoring and self-regulation; exploration of prospects for waste minimisation, resource conservation and recycling of both wastewater and biosolids was also deemed necessary.