Dina Farms, a portfolio company of Gozour, Citadel Capital’s multi-category agriculture and consumer foods platform, has announced massive expansion plans aimed at boosting its raw milk production capacity by next year.

Egypt’s leading dairy producer said in line with this, the company has taken receipt of 1,000 top-quality pregnant heifers from the US.

The new cows are the first of two shipments totaling 2,000 cows that Dina Farms will import by the third quarter of 2013, said a top official.

“The significant increase in our herd of milking cows, which is expected to reach approximately 8,000 cows by the end of 2013, is part of a comprehensive dairy expansion plan that also includes the construction of new international-standard milking stations to accommodate the new cows,” revealed Dr Mohamed Waeer, the managing director of Gozour’s livestock business within Dina Farms.

In September, Dina had announced that it had secured an EGP92 million ($14.7 million) syndicated loan facility to finance civil work, machinery and the purchase of an additional 2,000 cows that will subsequently increase milk production to 80,000 tons per annum in 2013 from the 60,000 tons per annum that the farm produces today.

With more than 13,000 head of cattle (of which more than 6,000 are currently milking cows), Dina is Egypt’s largest dairy producer and a key supplier of fresh produce both locally and regionally, said Dr Waeer.

"In addition to its own highly successful, premium brand of fresh milk products the company also provides milk to leading local producers of processed dairy products," he added.

Hanee Afia, the CEO of Gozour’s integrated dairy business, said, "The fact that our products have gained such wide market appeal in a relatively short period of time is a testament to the quality and productivity of our cattle as well as the high technological standards of our milking facilities."

“We are confident that the increase in our dairy capacity will not only benefit our own manufacturing operation but also the market as a whole which continues to suffer from an undersupply of milk,” Afia added.-TradeArabia News Service