Dairy Farmer
In this Photo:
The DVD showcases a seller in a Chachoengsao province marketplace.
Extensive dairy farming began in Thailand in the early 1960s when the King of Thailand became interested in the Danish dairy industry. This led to the establishment of the first dairy, the Thai-Danish Dairy Farm. Previously cows in Thailand were mostly used for meat; Thais were not big milk consumers.
In 1971, the Thai government took over the project and named it The Dairy Farming Promotion of Thailand, known as DPO. The organization teaches farmers how to raise and cross breed cows and provides milk to school children. The program is a way to introduce milk into the diets of young people. Dairy cooperatives make up an important part of the country's dairy industry. Individual farmers sell their milk to the co-ops where it is refrigerated and processed, which allows small farmers to thrive without having to invest in expensive cooling systems.
The dairy farmer in the film, who undergoes licensing every two years, attended training by the government on how to raise and milk cows. She sells her non-pasteurized milk to a co-op in the morning and evening. She also grows sugar cane and corn and tends to her fields during the day in between milking.