News in brief: Arla Foods has established a dairy farm in Kaduna state, Nigeria, covering 200 hectares. The farm aligns with Nigeria’s dairy production goals and aims to contribute to the economy.
Arla Foods, a multinational cooperative, has inaugurated a dairy farm in Damau, Kubau LGA of Kaduna state, Nigeria. The farm will cover 200 hectares of land and at full capacity, it will be home to 400 cows.
Already, the company has brought in 216 Danish Holstein Heifers. These are popular industrial cow breed in Denmark that is easily recognisable by its black and white (and sometimes red and white) coat. Farmers mainly dehorn them as calves and are capable of producing large quantities of milk and beef.
Arla’s farm is in sync with Nigeria’s plan to raise dairy production, which includes a new policy we reported on. “In Nigeria, it is our mission to secure access to a healthy, nutritious diet for as many people as possible, whilst we contribute to strengthening the capabilities and livelihoods for farmers, to the benefit of the entire dairy community,” the company’s vice president, Simon Stevens, said.
Arla Foods is one of the few companies exempted from the 2019 dairy importation restriction placed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). It seems the company wants to invest in backward integration to cut production costs.
The plan is to produce five million kg (or 4.85 million litres) of milk per year from its Kaduna farm when it is running optimally. Although, it is still a long way from the 1.6 billion litres that Nigeria is aiming for.
Meanwhile, the state’s governor, Nasir El-Rufai, commented that the inauguration is one of his happiest in office. He mentioned that the farm will impact the economy favourably while addressing security concerns between herders and farmers.
