As part of their efforts to ensure sustainable milk production in Nigeria, Arla Foods on 25 May, inaugurated its state-of-the-art dairy farm located in Damau village, Kaduna
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai described the newly commissioned dairy farm as a significant milestone and game-changer for the dairy sector in Nigeria. He commended the management of Arla Foods for having faith and confidence in Nigeria and the Kaduna state government.
The Arla Farm is the first of its kind in Nigeria and with it, Arla is creating the future of dairy in Nigeria. Designed to ensure optimum animal welfare and productivity, the farm will be a showcase for sustainable milk production in Nigeria, covering 400 ha of land, with the capacity to house 400 milking cows and 1,000 animals in total. Currently, the farm is home to 216 Danish Holstein cows, which arrived in May 2023, and are settling well into their new environment.
In his welcome address, the executive vice president of Arla Foods International, Simon Stevens, described the completion of the farm as a massive achievement for Arla Foods in its journey in Nigeria and globally, noting that this success exemplifies the significance of solid partnership and the vast potential available in Nigeria. He disclosed that the project was conceived in line with the quest to achieve a number of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, including 2, 8, 12 and 17. He added that the farm, delivered at an investment cost of more than US$10.7mn, would serve as a place of milk production and an epicentre of dairy farming knowledge.
Anna Månsson, head of Arla Foods West Africa noted that more than 40 people would be directly employed at the farm, as this would serve as a means of livelihood to Nigerians, especially those within the Damau community of Kaduna state. She explained that the farm is expected to produce 1.6 million kg of milk in 2024, with an annual production target of 4 million kg of milk.
