Dear Reader,
Welcome to the 3rd issue of the Arla Dairy Development Newsletter! We are excited to bring you the latest stories and updates from our operations here in Nigeria.
In this edition, we focus on the fantastic technology we use at our farm and are introducing to the dairy farming community here in Nigeria and across Africa. This technology plays a vital role in ensuring the comfort and happiness of our animals. Additionally, it helps our employees to embrace new ways of working, making their tasks easier and more efficient. We believe that the technology we have chosen for our daily operations at the dairy farm is not only suitable for us but also for many other established dairy farmers in Nigeria, particularly because we prioritize practical solutions over costly ones. While we currently do not utilize many computer-controlled systems, we anticipate their integration in the future. It wouldn't be surprising if we eventually incorporate Artificial Intelligence into our dairy farming practices. This could be particularly beneficial in areas such as employee training.
Our farm, often referred to as the most advanced dairy farm in Nigeria, has reached a significant milestone. The majority of the heifers we imported from Denmark have now calved, and by the end of this year, they will all have become cows. This journey has been both challenging and exciting. We successfully impregnated two-thirds of the imported heifers using semen from our partner, ‘VikingGenetics’, and the local company, ‘Livestock Genetics Africa’. Together, we achieved a remarkable milestone in April when the first calf was born on our farm via local breeding; a true testament to the progress we're making at Arla.
On June 1st, we joined dairy companies and farmers worldwide in celebrating World Milk Day. This special day highlights the importance of dairy production and the health benefits of dairy products. While the consumption of dairy products per capita in Africa is still relatively low compared to Europe, we are encouraged by the growing awareness of their impact on health and wellbeing. We have a long way to go, but we are heading in the right direction. Therefore, it remains crucial to continue celebrating this remarkable day.
The main event for World Milk Day took place in Abuja, where the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with the Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria (CODARAN) and other key stakeholders in the dairy industry hosted a notable conference. We were honoured to receive special recognition for our pioneering work in dairy development in Nigeria and for continuously leading the way for others to succeed in the local dairy industry.
Peder Pedersen MD, Arla Global Dairy Products Ltd.
2024 World Milk Day Celebrations
Earlier this month, we joined the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), and other key stakeholders in the Nigerian dairy industry, to celebrate World Milk Day. The Ministry, in collaboration with key industry players, hosted a notable conference in Abuja with the theme: Harnessing the Nutrition and Investment Opportunities in the Dairy Value Chain. The conference provided an opportunity for industry stakeholders to discuss the steps needed to develop the Nigerian dairy sector.
Arla 2024 INT Summit
In May, Aarhus, Denmark set the stage for Arla's Annual International Summit, where management teams from around the world gathered for strategic discussions. The summit allowed Arla's leaders to align on goals, share insights, and develop plans to enhance our operations.
This year, at the Arla INT Summit Awards Ceremony, our team from Arla Foods Nigeria was recognized for the "Best Sustainability Initiative"
Most of our Calves are Female!
In nature, when cows become pregnant, the ratio of male (bull) calves to female (heifer) calves is 52:48, resulting in more bull calves being born. However, for our growing dairy farming operation, we require a higher number of heifer calves. Currently, our herd consists of approximately 200 cows, but we aim to expand it to 500 cows. To achieve this, we exclusively use ‘sexed semen’ from our partner company, Viking-Genetics, a specialized breeding company collectively owned by over 17,000 farmers in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. VikingGenetics provides us with carefully selected semen from their finest bulls, and through a special process, we achieve over 90% female calves. This strategy enables us to rapidly increase our herd size to the desired maximum within a few years, eliminating the need for further heifer imports.
Automatic Health Monitoring
At the Arla farm, all our older heifers and cows wear beautiful necklaces. However, these necklaces serve a crucial purpose. They are specially designed with small computers that monitor the cows' movements. This technology allows us to detect heat in cows, helping us determine if they should be inseminated or not. But the capabilities of this system extend far beyond that. In fact, it can be considered a comprehensive health monitoring system, essential for maintaining the health, fertility, and productivity of our cows and heifers. The system compares an animal's behavior to its own previous behavior and the behavior of its group. This enables us to identify any changes or abnormalities. It provides early and reliable alerts for potential health issues, allowing us to address them promptly. The system generates a list of cows that require attention, ensuring we can treat health concerns before they escalate. Additionally, this system can monitor eating patterns and consistency, making it invaluable for herds like ours at the Arla farm, where hundreds of cows reside. Finding a specific cow in such a large group can be challenging, but with this system, we can incorporate a function that accurately displays and tracks the real-time location of individual or multiple cows within the barn. This information is easily accessible on our PC, tablet, or smartphone through a barn map. In summary, this system is a complete game-changer in cow monitoring. It serves as the perfect tool to enhance animal welfare and revolutionize the way we care for our cows.
Cooling Fans and Wetting Systems
One of the most frequently asked questions about our dairy farm in Nigeria is, "How do the foreign cows adapt to the extreme weather conditions?" Firstly, it's important to note that our farm is situated at an elevation of 710 meters above sea level, resulting in significant temperature variations between day and night. During the evening and night, temperatures can drop below 20°C, while daytime temperatures can soar as high as 40°C. Cows and dairy cattle, in general, begin to experience discomfort when the temperature exceeds 20°C as the rumination process generates heat, making it challenging for them to dissipate heat in hot weather.
At the Arla farm, our primary focus is ensuring the comfort and well-being of our animals. To achieve this, we have designed the farm buildings to cater to these weather conditions. To keep our animals content, we have installed large ceiling fans, box fans, and sprinkler systems that can be activated as needed to provide cooling. The sprinkler system is specifically designed to spray water on cows in high milk production, and once they are wet, the box fans start operating, blowing air onto the cows. This process facilitates evaporation of the water from the cows' skin, simultaneously removing heat energy. Essentially, it functions as an air-conditioning system for our cows!
Light Settings Optimized for Cows
The barn buildings at the Arla farm are equipped with specially designed LED lights that are tailored to serve their purpose. The light settings are carefully adjusted to maximize the benefits for our animals. It is essential to strike a balance between light and darkness to establish a consistent circadian rhythm for optimal cow performance. Darkness stimulates melatonin production in the brain, while light inhibits it. Maintaining a disrupted circadian rhythm, caused by insufficient daylight or short light periods during the day, as well as excessive light exposure at night, can have detrimental effects on the fertility, longevity, and overall health of cows. To ensure the optimization of these conditions, we have implemented a computer controlled lighting system in the barns at the Arla farm. This system is independent of the sun's rising and setting times throughout the year or unexpected events like heavy rain resulting in darkness during the daytime. It continuously detects the available light conditions and adjusts the intensity of the lights accordingly, 24/7. All these measures are taken to enhance the performance and welfare of our cows.
24/7 Focus on Animal Welfare
Achieving high-level success in milk production, which is our ambition at the Arla farm, goes beyond relying solely on technology and computers to assist our dedicated employees in animal care. Various factors play a crucial role in maximizing daily production from each cow. These include proper upbringing, appropriate feeding, effective overall management, and, most importantly, prioritizing animal welfare. Consequently, the design of the Arla farm in a unique manner, the first of its kind in Africa, reflects our commitment to these principles.
Spacious Design:
Our design excels with spacious surroundings for each animal. The cows have unrestricted access to tailored cubicles, wide and long for optimal rest. Unlike typical farms, our barn has four rows of cubicles instead of six, prioritizing cow well-being by maximizing space. This allows them to move freely and have ample personal space.
Sand, Straw & Rice Husk Bedding:
All animals at our farm sleep on soft and dry bedding. The youngest calves, who are still milk-fed, sleep on straw and rice husk bedding, ensuring they have a cozy resting space during their early weeks. For the rest of the animals, we provide soft sand bedding in either group boxes or cubicles. Sand provides ideal lying conditions, keeping the animals clean, content, and reducing the risk of infections due to its inhospitable environment for bacteria.
Well Mixed Fodder:
To keep cattle happy, they need to be well fed. The general rule is to always have fodder available for the animals, allowing them to eat whenever they want! We use special recipes and specially imported TMR wagons to professionally mix the feed. Waste materials from nearby food and industry production, such as cassava pills, peanut cakes, and corn husks, are converted into cattle fodder and combined with our farm-made roughage. We also provide specially made concentrate pellets to optimize the growth and development of smaller and more vulnerable animals.
Clean Water:
Water is crucial for the growth of our animals and for milk production. To meet their needs, we provide multiple accessible water sources. Cows, in particular, have ample opportunities to drink whenever and wherever they wish. However, access to water is only part of the equation; the water itself must be pure and clean. That's why we prioritize daily thorough cleaning of all drinking areas at the Arla farm to ensure the highest quality water for our animals!
Brushes:
Cattle have a natural instinct to clean their fur, and when they cannot reach certain areas with their tongues, they require tools for effective assistance. In a barn setting, utilizing trees and bushes for scratching is not feasible. This is precisely why we provide specially designed brushes for all non-milk-fed animals. These brushes play a vital role in ensuring our animals' comfort, wellbeing, and overall satisfaction, and they are regularly utilized to meet their essential scratching needs.
24/7 Monitoring:
Lastly, it is crucial to provide round-the-clock care for our animals. This becomes particularly important in case of accidents, technology malfunctions, or when an animal requires medical attention. To ensure swift and appropriate actions, we have staff working in the barn buildings day and night. This constant presence allows us to promptly address any issues, including providing immediate aid during a birth, for instance. Additionally, critical areas of the farm are equipped with CCTV cameras, enabling remote monitoring of the animals
