Plano de qualificação de fornecedores de leite: diagnóstico de situação e proposta de correções para adequações sanitárias em pequenas propriedades produtoras de leite no município de Tuntum-MA

Abstract

The state of Maranhão has great potential for milk production and plays a crucial role in the local economy, representing a source of income for small rural producers and contributing to job creation along the production chain. The Milk Suppliers Qualification Plan (MSQP) aims to improve the quality and safety of milk produced in a region. However, to date, there are no records of the implementation of a MSQP in the state of Maranhão. In this context, the objective was to develop a PQFL to serve small milk-producing farms in the municipality of Tuntum, Maranhão. For this purpose, the study was divided into three stages: (i) a bibliographic survey on the topic; (ii) a situational diagnosis in 15 milk-producing farms located in the São Miguel Village, municipality of Tuntum - MA, whit the use of checklist related to good agricultural practices (GAP) and subsequent categorization of the properties evaluated, according to the percentage of compliance achieved; and, (iii) the development of the MSQP to meet the diagnosed needs, considering the Guideline of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL). The diagnostic results revealed that the 15 evaluated farms have compliance percentage rates below 50% in all evaluated GAP items, all categorized as "poor". The items with the highest compliance percentages were: feed management and food storage (49.2%), water quality (31.1%), sanitary management (29.6%), and the adoption of rational management and animal welfare practices (18.1%). In six GAP items, none of the farms were compliant: integrated pest control, worker training, waste management and treatment of waste and effluents, preventive maintenance and calibration of equipment, control of suppliers of agricultural and livestock inputs, and provision of technical material. The development of the MSQP was based on the elaboration of recommended measures to correct the diagnosed non- conformities. Therefore, the suppliers were grouped into two categories considering the percentage of compliance with the minimum GAP requirements: category C (26 to 50%) with one supplier and category D (1 to 25%) with fourteen suppliers. Thus, an Emergency Action Plan was developed to comply with legal quality and safety requirements for milk and a Good Agricultural Practices Action Plan to consolidate compliance on milk-producing farms, including a methodology for implementation, management indicators, and a suggested execution schedule. Considering the results achieved, it is concluded that the proposed MSQP, when fully implemented, could improve the quality and safety of the milk produced by small producers in the municipality of Tuntum-MA, meeting sanitary standards and increasing the competitiveness of local producers. However, it is emphasized that the success of such a plan depends on the collaboration between public agencies, producers, dairy sector companies, and other stakeholders. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the MSQP, the technical product of this dissertation, will be presented to the State Inspection Service of Maranhão to serve as a reference for this body, which is responsible for inspecting the dairy agroindustries