By Cynthia Ezekwe
Arla Foods, a Danish-Swedish multinational dairy company, has entered into an exclusive collaboration agreement with compatriot VikingGenetics, a specialist supplier of bovine genetic products and solutions, to increase Nigeria’s milk productivity at its newly launched farm in Kaduna.
The initiative is aimed to contribute to the increase in the supply of dairy products in the country, which still depends on imports to cover more than 75 per cent of its milk consumption needs.
Seppo Niskanen, the export manager at VikingGenetics, noted that the introduction of nordic cattle genetics to the Nigerian market can unlock much of the untapped potential of the country’s dairy industry, adding that Arla, VikingGenetics, and Livestock Genetics of Africa have selected the right bulls to boost Nigerian dairy production.
“With this project, we are sharing our knowledge, creating an economically viable market for local milk and paving the way for the future of Nigerian dairy farming,’’ adds Snorri Sigurdsson,senior procurement manager. and raw milk production at Arla Foods.
Louise Helmer, CEO of VikingGenetics, noted that with a daily production of 30 to 40 litres of milk, VikingGenetics’ breeds can benefit areas where farmers experience average yields of 1-2 litres daily adding that that this would greatly help farmers and their communities, increase yields, boost income, and enhance access to nutritious food,” Helmer added.
“This provides the farm with high-quality genetics and animals with high milk yields that will support dairy production in Nigeria for years,’’ Helmer added.
Recently, Arla Foods stepped up its efforts to boost sustainable milk production in Nigeria with the inauguration of its state-of-the-art dairy farm in Kaduna which cost the Danish dairy giant over US$10 million.
The farm , which is a state-of-the-art Danish-designed dairy farm and the first of its kind in Nigeria- is located in Damau village, Kubau Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
