Charlie Ng
You can't blame City University Hong Kong's Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences for milking its latest milestone.
In collaboration with Cornell University in the United States, it has started operating its own veterinary teaching farm, the CityU Farm in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po.
The college's veterinary medicine program started in 2017 as the first and only one of its kind in the city. The program aligns with the university's One Health concept, which sees the interdependence between human and animal health and the environment as a global challenge.
By developing and integrating interdisciplinary, problem-based research in health issues, the challenge is linked with measures safeguarding public health.
Lester Huang, the chairman of the CityU Council, said the educational part, not the farm, is an "important block of the puzzle we have. It's not been easy because arable land in Hong Kong is not plentiful, and there is very little experience in running a dairy facility in Hong Kong."
In support of the One Health concept of the university, HK$500 million was donated by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in the same year the program opened, while the club's One Health Tower is under construction to serve as the college's base.
With 11 single-story buildings over 9,300 square meters, the farm started operations in September after welcoming 24 British-origin Jersey cattle from Australia. The breed is famous for producing high butterfat milk that is ideal for making butter, cheese, and ice-cream.
The cattle aren't able to produce milk yet but they will be soon.
impregnated with semen from either Jersey or wagyu bulls, the cows are expected to give birth anytime from now until March, said farm manager Eryl Done.
Then they will be producing an estimated 500 liters of fresh milk a day.
"The milk that we produce is really just a byproduct of teaching the veterinary students. Our ethos is all about teaching the best standards of animal husbandry and animal welfare," said Done.
Plus, raw milk cannot be drunk straight from the cow. "There are a lot of regulations in Hong Kong concerning dairy production and the quality of milk to be consumed and the main focus is the veterinary clinical examination," said Done.
But that "byproduct" is not going to waste as it will be sold as milk products and ice-cream on CityU's campuses.
Though they will not be able to taste-test the fresh milk, the operation of the teaching farm is crucial to the students - especially the first 12 admitted to the six-year veterinary medicine program in 2017, who are expected to graduate in this year.
"There'll be a whole host of things students will learn about the cows here, which start with the basic handling of cattle and learning about cattle behavior, physiology and nutrition."
The compulsory courses involving the farm will also give students hands-on experience in farm management, the science behind milk production, disease prevention and treatment, food safety and food sustainability.
Despite not opening to the public because of the high hygiene standards, there could be cooperation with other educational institutions for students to learn about animal handling as well as animal welfare, added Done.
charlie.ng@singtaonewscorp.com
