The study describes the economical viability of milk low temperature long time pasteurization, based on the profitability analysis according to different variations, in a rural property located in the Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais State) metropolitan region, in 1998. Notes of expenses and receipts were used, complemented by producers semi-structured interviews. Milk production and purchase were the major components of the total operational costs. The pasteurization cost represented 12% of the invested money and the profitability was 10.5% per year. The profitability variation was higher due to the milk selling prices as well as to the total production’s operational costs than to the investments and to the difference of animals’ inventory. In farm milk pasteurization showed to be a viable alternative, according to the studied situation.
Milk production; profitability; costs; economy
