Dina Farms, Egypt’s largest integrated commercial farm, has launched a new chain of retail stores to  bring high-quality dairy products and meat to consumers nation-wide.

The company currently has six stores located in five districts across the country.

The news comes as Dina Farms, part of Citadel Capital’s integrated regional multi-category consumer foods platform Gozour, continues to solidify its position in the Egyptian market as the premium supplier of fresh dairy and food products to the Egyptian consumer, said a statement.

“Dina Farms has always been a well-known name in Egypt, but this is our first real entry into the retail business,” said Gozour Agro chief executive officer and managing director Ahmed Seddik.

“We have given our two existing outlets on the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road and in Dokki a facelift and added four additional branches. Now we are moving quickly to execute a strategy that will see us grow to 20 stores within the next two years, creating substantial brand equity in the process,” he added.

Boudi Ghandour, retail general manager at Dina Farms, said: “The original plan was to open 20 outlets within five years, but the initial response from our newly opened store was tremendous. Market demand for safe, fresh products coming from a trusted source was such that we have decided to accelerate the expansion to target a total of more than 40 stores within the next five years.”

The Dina Farms retail concept is what Seddik calls a “national chain of neighborhood specialty farm stores.” The convenience store-style shops sell fresh produce, fresh bakery, milk, yogurt and other dairy products including cheese, butter and cream. Fresh meats from the farm are also available as well as poultry (under the brand name “Dina Farms Selection”).

“Dina Farms’ retail strategy is based on a limited-selection, high-turnover model,” says Seddik. “The higher turnover rate on a smaller number of items provides specialisation. Moreover, it makes the whole business — from stocking shelves to checking out customers — much simpler.”

Dina Farms has recently taken delivery of 850 new Holstein heifers from the United States, adding to its herd of 6,000 dairy cows (out of a total herd of more than 12,000) and solidifying its position as Egypt’s largest dairy producer. The company’s total herd of milking cows is expected to reach 10,000 by 2012.

Dina Farms, located on the outskirts of Cairo, is both the largest privately owned farm in Egypt and the country’s leading dairy producer. The company also produces a diverse range of fruit and vegetable products for sale locally and internationally, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service