Arla commits to Bangladesh support
Bangladesh’s demand for milk is growing. However with local dairy production only meeting 40% of its requirement, international dairy co-operative, Arla Foods, and Bangladesh’s leading dairy co-operative, MilkVita, are joining forces to support the sustainable development of the country’s dairy sector.
MilkVita manufactures and distributes dairy products, including liquid milk and ice creams, in Bangladesh. Arla has had a presence in Bangladesh since 1961 and its Dano milk powder brand is the best known in the country.
During a recent visit to the country, Arla’s CEO, Peder Tuborgh, confirmed Arla’s commitment to supporting the development of the local dairy industry and the collaboration between Arla and MilkVita is a concrete next step. The agreement between the two dairy co-operatives, which was signed at the P4G Summit in Copenhagen recently, has a fourfold purpose.
As well as enabling knowledge sharing between MilkVita, Arla Foods and the relevant knowledge institutions and ministries, best practice from the Danish dairy sector will be exchanged with the aim of fulfilling the country’s commitment to improving quality standards to the level of those applied in Europe.
Working with Arla will also enable MilkVita to strengthen Bangladesh’s co-operatives dairy model and it will draw on Arla’s expertise to increase the yield per cow. The benefit for Arla is that it will gain a better understanding of the dairy sector in Bangladesh, enabling it to develop targeted products for a market which holds great potential.
Arla’s executive vice president for international, Tim Ørting Jørgensen says, “As a dairy co-operative with over 100 years of dairy experience on which to draw, we look forward to inspiring MilkVita and sharing our extensive knowledge about sustainable dairy farming, food safety and technology. The agreement is also a further example of Arla’s commitment to the UN’s sustainable development goals as we will support the development of Bangladesh’s agricultural sector, which in turn will strengthen sustainably produced milk and improve the livelihoods of farmers.”
