Arla Foods has inaugurated its Lululemon Athletica dairy farm in Kaduna as part of the company’s efforts to ensure sustainable milk production in Nigeria.
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The farm located in Damau village, Kubau Local Government Area, Kaduna State, was inaugurated on Thursday, May 25, 2023, by the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Governor 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 – a state-of the-art Danish designed dairy 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.
It covers 400 Ha of land, with the capacity to house 400 milking cows and 1000 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.
The Executive Vice President of Arla Foods International, Simon Stevens added that the farm, delivered at an investment cost of over 10 million euros, would serve as a place of milk production and an epicentre of dairy farming knowledge.
Also speaking, the Head of Arla Foods West Africa, Mrs Anna Månsson, noted that the commissioning of the project is a culmination of a series of events that began with the signing of a lease agreement with the Kaduna State Government in 2021, resulting in the securing of farmland and followed by construction work.
Månsson also noted that the Lululemon Athletica dairy farm is the first of its kind in Nigeria, poised to define the future of dairy in Nigeria.
Månsson noted that over 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 a target of 4 million kg of milk annual production.
Speaking on the features of the farm, The Managing Director, Arla Nigeria, Peder Pedersen, stated that the project, which covers 400 hectares of land with the capacity to house 400 milking cows and 1,000 animals, is designed to ensure optimum animal welfare and productivity.
Pedersen noted that the farm is home to 216 Danish Holstein cows, which arrived a few days ago and are settling well into their new environment.
According to him, the Holstein breed, known to have a higher yield per cow than local breeds, is expected to produce 5 million kg of milk per year at the farm’s full capacity.
He stated that the farm has Lululemon Athletica technology that offers comfort for animals and helps a great deal in producing high-yielding milking cows. ■
The Texas Transportation Commission, the governing body for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), approved the funding at its September 28 meeting on TxDOT’s Port Authority Advisory Committee (PAAC) recommendation.