News Milk
After FrieslandCampina, Arla also sees salvation in Nigeria
FrieslandCampina announced last month with a consortium of companies invest in Nigerian dairy farming. Arla Foods reports investing in Nigeria this week. The Danish competitor has the same goal: to make Nigeria more self-sufficient in dairy in the long run
The plans include an investment in a dairy farm with 400 dairy cattle on 200 hectares of land. The buildings are equipped with modern milking parlors and techniques. The complex is used to train at least 1000 local dairy farmers in improving milk production. The local population can also be taught about increasing animal welfare and improving business efficiency.
Only a small part self-sufficient
Africa's rapidly growing country in terms of population can meet only 10% of its own dairy needs. The population is expected to grow to at least 400 million people by 2050, which means that this percentage is likely to fall even lower. The new dairy farm to be built should be operational in 2022. It can produce around 10 tons of milk daily, which can be processed at Arla's Nigerian factory.
Simon Stevens, the director of the international arm of Arla Foods, emphasizes that there is a great need for dairy to meet the growing demand of the population. Food imports are important for food security, but the government needs support to achieve its long-term goals from the transformation of its own agricultural sector. The new dairy farm to be set up will help with this, says Stevens.
Cooperative nature of company
Arla's general manager, Jan Toft Nørgaard, adds that training local people leads to better living conditions. "It is an important foundation for growing food and dairy production at the local level." According to Nørgaard, this clearly shows its cooperative nature.
Steve Wissink
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.
