The company’s corporate affairs director, Ore Famurewa, said since 2011, FrieslandCampina WAMCO has been investing in the DDP and has established the country’s largest milk collection network.
She added the company currently collects milk from about 1,700 farmers in over 70 communities in Oyo State.
Training with partners
A large network of dairy farmers is currently engaged in the DDP, receiving training in extension services and various forms of improved dairy farming practices particularly targeted at increasing the quality and quantity of raw milk production.
DDP activities:
Identification of dairy value chain actors
Sensitization, registration and organization of potential dairy farmers
Training of farmers and extension workers
Milk collection, testing and quality control
Crossbreeding
Tsetse eradication programs
Improved and hybrid pasture cultivation demonstrations for farmers
Dairy study tours to enhance farmers’ knowledge of dairy farming best practices and improve skills
FrieslandCampina WAMCO engages and collaborates with local and international public sector project partners, including the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Oyo State Government, National Office for Technology Acquisitionand Promotion (NOTAP), 2SCALE, Wageningen RU, Animal Care Limited, International Fertilizer Development Centre, FrieslandCampina Nederland Holding B.V and Sahel Capital Partners.
Future expansion
Future expansion plans include the introduction of commercial credit to farmers, building confidence between farmers and financial institutions for viable agri-business, and supporting dairy cooperatives in Nigeria.
The Saki Milk Collection Center has a capacity to hold about 12,000 liters daily, to serve about 500 new dairy farmers in the area.
The investment is intended to further reduce the distance covered to deliver milk for bulking and help manage quality before the milk is transported to the production factory.
Cooperation with Wageningen University
In his speech at the commissioning ceremony, Ben Langat, managing director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, said the Milk Collection Centre in Saki gives the company the capacity to collect more than 40,000 liters of raw milk daily.
“A major pillar for us towards strengthening the DDP is the need to build academic capacity in sustainable dairy farming,” Langat said.
“In line with this, FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Wageningen University signed an expression of interest to explore an institutional cooperation in the domain of sustainable dairy production in Nigeria. The Wageningen team has since visited Nigeria to identify possible partnership areas with University of Ibadan.”
FrieslandCampina WAMCO produces the Peak, Three Crowns and Friso brands in Nigeria.