FrieslandCampina to invest N3bn in Dairy Development in Nigeria

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FrieslandCampina announced that it would invest N3bn in its dairy development small holder farmer programme in Nigeria.

The investment was part of an agreement reached between the Federal Government of Nigeria and dairy giant, Royal FrieslandCampina of the Netherlands, during a recent two-day working visit by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, to the company.

A statement from RoyalFriesland, said Chief Ogbeh signed several other pacts with FrieslandCampina, that will enable the company to roll-out new dairy programmes, which are designed to safeguard food and nutrient security in Nigeria.

The statement further said that Chief Audu Ogbeh and Chief Executive Officer of FrieslandCampina, Mr. Roelof Joosten, also signed a Farmer2Farmer agreement during the visit.

Member, Board of Directors Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR), The Netherlands, Dr. Martin C.Th. Scholten and Managing Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria, Mr. Rahul Colaco. Standing L-R: Corporate Affairs Director, FC WAMCO, Ore Famurewa; Managing Director WUR, Ms. Janine Luten; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh; Director, Dairy Development, FrieslandCampina NV, Mr. Atze Schaap; and Head of Animal Production Systems WUR, Prof. Imke J.M. de Boer. at the signing of Expression of Interest for Academic and Technical Support between FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Wageningen University and Research Centre in Wageningen for dairy development in Nigeria, recently.

Member, Board of Directors Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR), The Netherlands, Dr. Martin C.Th. Scholten and Managing Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria, Mr. Rahul Colaco. Standing L-R: Corporate Affairs Director, FC WAMCO, Ore Famurewa; Managing Director WUR, Ms. Janine Luten; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh; Director, Dairy Development, FrieslandCampina NV, Mr. Atze Schaap; and Head of Animal Production Systems WUR, Prof. Imke J.M. de Boer. at the signing of Expression of Interest for Academic and Technical Support between FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Wageningen University and Research Centre in Wageningen for dairy development in Nigeria, recently.

Corporate Affairs Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO,  Ore Famurewa, said in the statement that “With the Farmer2Farmer programme, FrieslandCampina aims to deploy member dairy farmers to train and advise local dairy farmers on feeding and watering of cattle, calf rearing, milking hygiene and practice, milking machine maintenance, hoof care, housing and barn design.

The statement also disclosed that FrieslandCampina WAMCO, under its Managing Director, Mr. Rahul Colaco and Dr. Martin C. Th. Schoiten, Member, Board of Directors of Wageningen University and Research Centre, signed an expression of interest for academic and technical support agreement with Nigeria as part of WAMCO’s ongoing Dairy Development Programme (DDP).

In addition, the statement stated that Nigeria and FrieslandCampina WAMCO agreed to renew their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the company’s dairy development programme in June 2016.

The statement also said that FrieslandCampina WAMCO would provide support to a Ministry of Agriculture subsidiary, Milcopal in Kaduna, under the terms of the revised MoU.

During his visit to the offices of Royal FrieslandCampina in the Netherlands, Chief Ogbeh and his team visited the company’s dairy campus in Leeuwarden, FrieslandCampina Innovation and Research Centre in Wageningen and the Vollering Family Farm.

While commending FrieslandCampina for taking the lead in dairy development in Nigeria, he said that the visit was strategic as it would reinforce the ministry’s dairy development programme.

“We will support pasture development; building of Paddocks as we intend to ensure the Fulani cattle herders settle down.

“Over 60,000 hectares of land are already available in eight States and more are still coming. It is key to tie up with what FrieslandCampina is doing in Oyo and ensure cattle breeding improvement as well as training and developing skills for artificial insemination of local breeds with the best breed fit to cross breed.

“We need the support of FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Wageningen University in training of trainers in dairy farm management”, Ogbeh was quoted as saying.

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