Baladna powdered milk plant in Algeria hits 28% construction completion

ALGERIA – The construction of the powdered milk plant in the Baladna project has reached 28%, according to a progress assessment reported by Algerie Eco after Agriculture Minister Sid Ali Khaldi inspected project sites in Adrar province.

Khaldi described Baladna as an integrated value-chain model that combines agricultural development, production, and processing. He said it should help reduce imports and create direct and indirect jobs.

Officials presented updates on the evaporation and drying units and other industrial installations. Khaldi called for continued monitoring, coordination among project participants and adherence to the planned schedule.

Khaldi also inspected a quarantine and isolation enclosure near Adrar airport. The first dairy cattle are expected to arrive around the end of November 2026.

The plan is to import 30,000 cattle from nine US states over 10 months, using an air bridge. A separate site in Fenoughil is intended for a cattle farm, with 492 barns planned, according to the report.

In 2025, Baladna Algeria signed initial contracts worth over USD 500 million with Algerian and international suppliers and consultants to boost Algeria’s dairy industry.

The contracts are part of the first phase of Baladna’s integrated agri-industrial project to produce powdered milk in Algeria, representing a total investment of US$3.5 billion.

Among the key international suppliers and consultants are GEA (Germany), a leader in dairy processing and automated milking systems; Valmont (USA), specialised in water-efficient irrigation systems; Urbacon UCC, a globally recognised contracting firm; and EHAF, a prominent engineering consultancy.

The initiative focuses on dairy cow farming and powdered milk production, aiming to meet 50% of Algeria’s national powdered milk demand locally and support the country’s goal of self-sufficiency.

The company later signed second-phase agreements worth more than US$635 million as part of its US$3.5 billion integrated dairy project.

The agreements come alongside the launch of a large-scale airlift program to import dairy cattle from the United States, marking a significant step in the project’s execution and growth.

The airlift initiative will transport 30,000 Holstein Friesian dairy cows across 109 flights from 9 USA states. This effort supports the development of one of the world’s largest integrated dairy projects, designed to build a herd of approximately 270,000 cows.

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