As part of activities to mark the 2023 World Milk Day (WMD), Outspan Nigeria Limited, a key player in the local dairy value chain and a subsidiary of ofi (olam food ingredients), has trained dairy cooperative members on sustainable dairy farming practices.
Also, the firm has promoted the nutritional benefits of milk to encourage wider consumption and improved public health.
The activities underscored Outspan’s determination to scale its backward integration programme and value chain development efforts.
Manish Khede, regional manager, ofi’s Nigeria, said, “Sustainability is critical to ofi’s value proposition to offer ingredients that are good for consumers, farmers, and the world around us.”
“Maintaining proper care of cattle herds, natural resources, and land is critical to addressing climate change. This is why we organised a lecture on sustainable dairy farming practices for dairy farmers.”
He added that the business also prioritises the education of the farmers’ children as this will help to provide them with a buffer for the future.
World Milk Day is observed globally to emphasise the importance of the dairy sector to the world economy. The theme for this year’s WMD is ‘Sustainable Dairy: Good for Planet, Good for you.’
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Commenting on milk consumption, Khede continued “According to Healthline, a global health information platform, milk is a good source of many vital nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and protein.
“We believe that promoting access to and consumption of fresh and safe milk in Kano State can contribute to healthier communities and productivity too.”
Praveen Paulsamy, vice president of ofi’s dairy business in Nigeria, said, “We are committed to the Federal Government’s economic development agenda.”
“Hence, we’re looking to continue our investment in developing the local dairy value chain to remove the hurdles that have been impeding growth along the chain and the dairy farming communities.”
Under the programme, some of its previous sustainability efforts and value chain development initiatives include the distribution of animal feed to dairy farmers, training farmers on sustainability practices and donating a cold truck to the dairy union, and educational materials to farmers’ children.
Lawan Ahmed, representative of the branch controller, Central Bank of Nigeria, Kano, at the event, said, “The milk industry provides valuable nutrients that support healthy physiological growth among the populace. The players in the industry deserve to be celebrated.”
Other activities executed by the company on Thursday, June 1, in Kano, included the donation of educational materials such as school bags and textbooks to dairy farmers’ children.
