Arla builds dairy farm in Nigeria to support local milk production
Arla Foods will build a state-of-the-art commercial dairy farm in Northern Nigeria where 1000 local dairy farmers will be educated and supported. This is the next step for the farm’s long-term engagement to public private partnerships supporting the development of the Nigerian dairy sector seeking to increase local food production.
Located in Kaduna State, the 200-hectare farm scheduled to open in 2022, will be housing 400 dairy cows, modern milking parlours and technology, grass lands and living facilities for 25 employees. The facilities and expertise provided by Arla, gives local dairy farmers the opportunity to learn how to improve milk yields and quality, animal welfare and farm profitability, contributing to the country’s goal to develop local milk production.
Besides training and supporting local farmers, the farm will showcase modern commercial farming in Nigeria. Over time, the farm is expected to produce more than 10 tonnes of milk per day processed by Arla’s dairy plant in Kaduna State to supply dairy products to Nigerian consumers.
Growing demand for dairy
Nigeria is among the fastest growing nations in the world whose population is set to reach approximately 400 million people by 2050. The consumer demand for affordable dairy nutrition in the country is already increasing. Today, the Nigerian dairy sector is able to supply less than 10% of the dairy products in demand. The share is expected to be even lower in line with the population growth.
“There is a great need for nutritious food and dairy products to satisfy the growing demand from Nigeria’s fast-growing population. This requires a complementary approach where imported food is crucial to ensure food security while also supporting the government’s long-term agricultural transformation plan to build a sustainable dairy sector in Nigeria. Our new dairy farm is our next step in our commitment to Nigeria,” says Executive Vice President and Head of Arla Foods International Simon Stevens.
Source: Arla