Kaduna State Government has commissioned a 500 litre per day capacity rural milk processing plant in Ladugga grazing reserve.
The plant commissioned by Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, has the capability of processing 500 litres of raw milk into yoghurt.
Aliko Dangote, Chairman, Dangote Group, says 98% of all dairy products consumed in Nigeria are imported.
“Ninety-eight per cent of all the milk and dairy products we consume in Nigeria are imported.
“This is why Dangote Group has planned to develop dairy plants, and develop homegrown milk production, to reduce importation,” he said.
Cow milk is a nutritious liquid and known to be consumed by humankind for centuries. Its consumption had probably started with the domestication of the cow. Nowadays, milk is processed before packaging to ensure that harmful bacteria in the milk are killed. Apart from being popular as a beverage, cows’ milk is used to make a large number of products, including cheese, cream, butter, yogurt, liquid milk, ice cream, whey protein, and many more. In cows’ milk’s raw state, more than 87 percent of its chemical composition is water, while the other 13% consists of such dietary components as butterfat, whey and casein proteins, lactose (milk carbohydrates/sugars), and ash (vitamins and minerals).
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has said that cows bred in Nigeria top the list of worst milk producing cows in the world.
The minister made the assertion at the 79th anniversary of Ikoyi Club 1938 in Lagos on Thursday.
He said that an average Nigerian cow produces less than one litre of milk per day compared to its counterparts in other countries where they produce as much as 100 litres per day.
Chellarams Plc, a diversified food, beverage and industrial chemical manufacturer and distributor announced on Thursday it had entered into a new strategic joint-venture agreement with its long-time business partner, German-based dairy producer, DMK Limited. The new venture will be called Chellarams DMK Limited.
According to a statement released by the company, the primary goal of the new venture will be to manage the production, marketing, sales and distribution of a full range of dairy products across Nigeria.
The Federal Government said on Wednesday it had approved the reduction of import duties on 115 items in various sectors of the economy as part of its effort to promote development in critical sectors of the economy.
The tariff reductions were approved by President Muhammadu Buhari as part of its fiscal policy measures of the Federal Government for the country.
The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun communicated the measures through a circular, which she said was in line with the provisions of the Economic Community of West African States Common External Tariff.
