Bedtime Milk sales help lift profile of organic producer

       Growing sales of Bedtime Milk have raised the profile of Dairy Home Co, a small organic milk producer in Thailand.
       The milk - containing high levels of the natural substance melatonin - was developed by Dairy Home with assistance from the Industrial Technology Assistance Programme (iTAP) of the Technology Management Centre.
       Bedtime Milk has had a good market response despite being a niche product - organic milk is a small player in Thailand's milk market, which is estimated to be worth 36 billion baht.
       Since Bedtime Milk's launch last year,its daily production has increased from only 20 litres to 200 litres, meeting strong demand, especially from healthconscious consumers, said Pruitti Kerdchoochuen, the company's founder.
       Melatonin is produced naturally in the body to help control sleep and waking patterns. Mr Pruitti's research found that milking cows in a dark and tranquil environment raises the level of melatonin in their milk.
       "It gives 10 times more than normal levels, but we weren't certain whether the pasteurisation process would have any effect on milk quality," he said.
       After years of research into Bedtime Milk, Dairy Home had been unable to progress further due to a lack of technical support and expertise, he said."Therefore, we decided to enter the iTAP programme in 2006 and received assistance from experts from iTAP's Suranaree University of Technology network."
       Dairy Home obtained technical support and investment from iTAP, which helps SMEs by providing half of the costs of development projects, up to a maximum of 500,000 baht.
       The company produces Bedtime by purchasing milk from organic dairy farms nearby to process at its plant in Pak Chong district in Nakhon Ratchasima,which has a capacity of 10 tonnes a day.
       The Livestock Development Department is expected to complete drafting the quality criteria to certify organic milk by year-end, said Mr Pruitti. In his view,the standard will mark a big step for the country's dairy industry.
       As sales are rising, the company is confident of expanding production and adding to its current outlets of The Emporium, The Mall, Foodland, Tops and Lemon Farm.
       Organic dairy lines including ice cream and yoghurt are available at Dairy Home's farm shop, next to a restaurant that serves steaks and soup. Organic rice, vegetables and rice from small farmers and produce free of chemicals and antibiotic residues are also on sale.
       Mr Pruitti says the restaurant is a meeting point where travellers wait for friends before entering the Khao Yai National Park.
       He has no plans to open a second outlet, especially in Bangkok, as he would prefer Dairy Home to be a landmark for travellers heading to the Northeast.