Towards a milk-surplus Qatar: Baladna’s cargo of 3200 Holstein cows arrives in Hamad Port
وصول 3200 بقرة إلى ميناء حمد قادمة من أمريكا

Baladna, the company at the forefront of making Qatar self-sufficient in milk and allied products after neighbouring countries laid a siege, has released a video of cows being moved to waiting trucks at Hamad Port.

The accompanying message on the Facebook said: “Here at Hamad port, in the city of Mesaieed, arrived 3200 Holstein cows and preparations are underway to start the process of loading the cows to our country farm (towards achieving self-sufficiency). ”

An earlier video showed cows lined up in neat arrays and columns in a ship docked at Hamad Port.

These Holstein cattle are bred in California, Arizona and Wisconsin. The Qatari market is expected to become self sufficient in dairy products by the holy month of Ramadan, in about two months.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency recently, Moutaz al-Khayyat, chairman to the board of directors for Baladna, said the company will fulfill demands of the local market.

The move furthers Qatar’s efforts to overcome the crisis initiated by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt by cutting trade and transportation links since June 2017.

Immediately after the blockade, Baladna imported 4,000 cows from the United States and Europe. The airborne bovines created a spectacle that highlighted the country’s ability to overcome sanctions and provide fresh milk to its 2.7 million residents.

The new number of cows represents a significant step towards a more sustainable and productive growth phase and will help us meet the market demands of high quality fresh dairy products, al-Khayyat told Anadolu.

Qatar had relied mainly on dairy product imports from Saudi Arabia with 400 tons of milk and yoghurt imported daily.

“The farm is equipped to comfortably house more than 20,000 cows,” Peter Weltevreden, Chief Executive of Baladna, told Anadolu.

He added the farm is specially designed to suit Qatari environment and high temperatures.

“After the arrival of the new number of cows, production will increase to about 200 tons of fresh milk daily,” Weltevreden said.

By 2019, he said, the farm will function in full capacity with 20,000 cows. “In May 2018, 3,200 cows will arrive and in November of the same year 3,000 more,” he added.

The company expects to increase the production of fresh milk and yoghurt to 500 tons per day, which is sufficient for domestic demand, with a surplus of 100 tons for export.

The farm includes a milk packaging plant and another plant is planned for the end of 2018.

The herd will be settled at Baladna Farms, 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Doha. The location, which includes an amusement park, restaurant and sheep, has almost become a pilgrimage site for Qatari and foreign visitors who bear witness at the automated milking carousel.

Once the domestic market is satiated, Baladna Farms intends to export surplus milk, Al Khayyat, told Bloomberg recently.

The venture has been so successful that Al Khayyat plans to list shares of the agricultural business this year, adding a metaphorical float to the literal one.

وصلت ميناء حمد اليوم الإثنين سفينة محملة بـ 3200 بقرة قادمة من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية .

ونشر الحساب الرسمي للشركة القطرية لإدارة الموانئ ( مواني قطر ) لقطات فيديو لوصول السفينة.

وغرد قائلا :”وصول السفينة كوينزلاند لـ #ميناء_حمد محملة ب 3200 بقرة قادمة من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية “.

يأتي هذا في إطار الجهود المتواصلة لتحقيق الاكتفاء الذاتي من الألبان، وإفشال الحصار الجائر المفروض على الدولة منذ يونيو الماضي.

وكانت قطر تستورد 90 % من الألبان من دول الحصار، إلا إنه في أعقاب الحصار تمكنت الدولة من رفع الإنتاج المحلي من الألبان ليغطي 40 % من احتياجات السوق المحلية، ومن المرتقب تحقيق الاكتفاء الذاتي من الألبان خلال العام الجاري.