Arla Foods, Tolaram Group Partner to Boost Local Milk Production

Gilbert Ekugbe

Arla Foods, the manufacturers of Dano Milk, has signed an agreement with its joint-venture partner, Tolaram Group, to build a Danish-designed state-of-the-art commercial dairy farm in Kaduna State, as part of efforts aimed at boosting local milk production in the country.

THISDAY gathered that the construction of the dairy would be completed by the end of the year.

The 200-hectare farm is expected to house 400 imported dairy cows, modern milking parlor, advanced animal cooling technology and all other modern technology used in dairy farms today.

Sources explained that the farm would produce all roughage for feeding and would have housing facilities for its employees.

The Food Management Expert at Arla Foods, Snorri Sigurdsson, said: “We are highly delighted by the signing of the construction agreement with our joint-venture partners, Tolaram Group. This signals the beginning of greater things to come in the dairy sector in Nigeria and we are truly happy to construct the farm in Kaduna, the Dairy State of Nigeria! Without a doubt, this collaboration will help a great deal to boost local milk production in Nigeria.”

The farm will be located on the Damau Household Milk Farm project land, where Arla has entered into a public-private partnership with the Kaduna State Government to support about 1,000 local dairy farmers and 3,000 imported cows with investment in milk collection and processing, and with training to improve milk production, animal husbandry techniques, and farm profitability, thereby enhancing the dairy sector in Nigeria.