Farmer focus - Al Ain dairy in the United Arab Emirates

Al Ain dairy is the number one liquid milk producer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with an output of 125,000 litres per day.

Milk comes from their own farm, where 4,000 cows are milked under the guidance of Irish man Pat O’Dwyer. The company also plans a new 5,000 cow farm to add to their milk supply.

Milk is also purchased from seven local farmers, with price currently at close to 50 cent per litre. Retail price is controlled and there has not been a price increase for the past seven years. In supermarkets, the price is generally the equivalent of €1 per litre.

All feed for the cows is imported from the US and Europe. The cows are fed alfalfa hay, corn, soyabeans, dried distillers grains, canola and molasses. Diets are formulated by an American nutritionist.

The farm employs 140 people. The herd is milked through a 40-unit double up parlour with automatic cluster removers.

The farm employs misters to ensure that cows are kept cool. It is undoubtedly a large consumer of energy and water, but these are available at low cost in Saudi Arabia. Cows calve all year round, although the intense heat in July and August makes breeding difficult.

The company also has a growing niche market, with huge demand for milk from their 1,400 milking camels. “We have enquiries from all over the world but the milk is simply not available,” explained John Bourke, a native of Castlebar who has worked in sales at Al Ain for the past four years.