Kaduna invests US$11.60M in Arla Farm to boost dairy production

NIGERIA – The Kaduna State Government has invested US$11.60 million (€10 million) in the establishment of Arla Farm at Damau in Kubau Local Government Area as part of efforts to modernise the livestock industry and attract private investment.

Speaking at the Arla-Dano Open Day and commissioning of the Nigeria Dairy Centre of Excellence in Damau, Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, described the investment as a major boost to the state’s industrialization drive and a clear demonstration of growing investor confidence in Kaduna’s business environment.

He said the facility is designed to produce between four and five million kilogrammes of milk annually at full capacity.

Sani noted that local milk production and employment opportunities have increased since the farm’s establishment, describing it as a milestone in the state’s agricultural transformation drive.

He added that his administration has established strong institutional frameworks to sustain growth in the livestock subsector.

“In the livestock subsector, Kaduna State has established the Kaduna State Livestock Regulatory Authority (KADLRA), the Kaduna State Livestock Transformation Company, and the Kaduna Ranch Development Company to work in synergy,” he said.

The governor also expressed delight at the unveiling of the Nigeria Dairy Centre of Excellence, the Sedentarization and Climate Change Resilience in Nigeria (SCREEN) Project, and the commissioning of a yoghurt factory.

He said the initiatives would equip smallholder farmers with modern technologies to improve milk quality and productivity. 

“These initiatives will empower our farmers, increase income, create jobs for our youth, and provide nutritious dairy products for our people,” Sani said.

Sani commended the partnership between the state government, the private sector, and development partners, saying such collaboration would drive sustainable growth in the dairy value chain.

“We believe that the Damau Milk Farm Project will stimulate economic growth and position Kaduna as the leading dairy hub in Nigeria,” he added.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, described Arla Farm as a product of the federal government’s local content and backward integration policy.

He explained that the Damau Household Milk Farm project, initiated by the Kaduna State Government, involves the settlement of 1,000 households and the provision of improved cows, pastures, veterinary services, and social amenities. Arla serves as the off-taker of milk produced from these households.

The Minister also revealed that the Danish Government is sponsoring two dairy development projects — Partnership for Green and Productive Dairy in Nigeria and Sedentarization and Climate Change Resilience in Nigeria — aimed at building climate-resilient dairy practices and documenting learnings from the Damau model.

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