Pearl dairy injects US$15m in milk plant
Written by Harunah Lumu Friday, 14 October 2011 09:07
Uganda's diary sector is set to experience increased competition when Pearl Dairy completes the construction of its new ulta-modern milk processing and powdered milk plant in Mbarara next year.
Backed by one of Africa's largest conglomerates -The Midland Group, who are also the owners of telecom company Midcom - Pearl dairy's plant will produce skimmed milk powder, liquid milk, cream, butter and cheese.
According to Akash Kumar, the Midland Group Managing Director, the construction of the plant is already underway and is scheduled to begin production by January 2012, which will also mark the first phase of the project. The powder milk plant will have a capacity to process half a million litters of milk a day.
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Western Uganda gets new milk powder plant
KAMPALA, UGANDA - Milk producers in Western Uganda are set to benefit from one of Uganda's biggest investors the Midland Group, as the company announced recently that it's constructing a $15m milk powder plant in the region.
The powder plant, to trade under, Pearl Dairy, will cover an area of 15 acres and, will provide direct employment to 250 people and over 10,000 jobs indirectly.
"The building of the plant is already underway and is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter and milk production is expected to begin in January 2012," said Mr. Akash Kumar, the managing director Midland Group during a press conference in Kampala.
Kumar added the powder plant will have a capacity to turn 500,000 litres of milk into powder every day.
This will bring the number of milk powder plants in Uganda to two after Sameer Agriculture and Livestock Industries launched theirs a few years back.
.. Read more on http://www.busiweek.com/11/opportunities/1912-western-uganda-gets-new-milk-powder-plant
Midland Group's Press Release
MIDLAND GROUP UNVEILS EXPANSION PLANS IN THE MILK PROCESSING SECTOR
Kampala, Wednesday 5th October 2011 Africa’s leading business conglomerate “The Midland Group” of companies have announced their expansion plans in the AGRO INDUSTRY. The 15 Million dollar investment to be based in Mbarara - Western Uganda will be outfitted with the latest modern equipment and ultramodern technology. Midland Group’s latest exciting venture, Pearl Dairy, will produce various milk products including skimmed milk powder , Butter oil, liquid milk, cream, butter, ghee, cheese and skimmed , among others.
The plant will cover an area of 15 acres (six hectares).will result in the direct employment of roughly 250 people and the indirect creation of a further 10,000 jobs.
The building of the plant is already under way and is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter and milk power production is expected to begin in January 2012.The powder milk plant will have a capacity to turn 500,000 liters of milk every day. The Group is experienced enough to understand the needs of the farmers and the right quality of the finished products to be delivered to the African milk industry.
The Group has agreements with machinery and equipment suppliers from Europe and Asia and plan to have the most Ultra-Modern Power milk plant in East Africa.
Pearl Dairy also plans to set up a separate unit to extract ‘Casein’ from the Cows milk for export purposes in phase II of this project. .The main of this project aim to go rural was to nurture and create an international market for Uganda’s rich natural resources. Milk farming has been a culture and a main source of income for many farmers in western Uganda.
The Midland Group’s initiative - Pearl Dairy will not only create jobs for Ugandans but will also create competition in the raw milk sector and help farmers get the right price for their produce. Midland Group has been in business for 70 years with key strategic presence in Africa and the Middle East. The major businesses in Uganda (one of the countries where the Group operates) are Midcom, Real Estate Development (Course View towers, Kololo Greens : residential projects in Kololo and another commercial project currently at the inception stage). They are also the owners of Rainbow International School and Midland Forex Bureau. Midcom is also the leading distributor of Nokia in Middle East and the Africa region with presence in 11 countries.
Dairy production is largely dominated by small-scale farmers who own over 90 percent of the national cattle population .The dairy sector is considered to be the most organized livestock sub-sector in Uganda. Currently, the Dairy Development Authority (DDA) is charged with promoting production, competition and monitoring the markets for milk and dairy products. To achieve this, DDA collaborates closely with multiple private sector organizations operating in Uganda.
