PHL inks $500-M tie up with Qatar dairy firm

The federal government will pursue a $500-million built-in dairy facility in partnership with Baladna Qatar Public Shareholding Firm (QPSC), the Division of Agriculture (DA) mentioned Monday.

The DA and the Division of Commerce and Business (DTI) have been in a position to signal a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Baladna QPSC throughout a enterprise engagement held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates not too long ago.

“The DA, by the Nationwide Improvement Authority [NDA], totally assist and welcome this new initiative as this may assist jumpstart catalytic investments within the Philippine dairy business to contribute to meals safety, native milk manufacturing and processing resulting in agri-industrial growth,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar mentioned in a information assertion.

In his presentation earlier than potential traders from the gulf nation, Dar defined that almost all of the Philippines’ annual dairy requirement is imported.

“In 2020, the Philippine dairy business was characterised by growing native milk manufacturing and reducing imports and exports of milk and dairy merchandise. The native milk manufacturing reached 26.71 million liters, a rise of 9.5 % from 24.38 million liters in 2019,” he mentioned.

Baladna QPSC’s pursuits embrace livestock elevating and manufacturing of dairy merchandise reminiscent of milk, yogurt, cheese labneh, cream, dessert, juices and animal fertilizers, in keeping with the DA.

The DA added that Baladna QPSC is Qatar’s largest locally-owned meals and dairy producer, accounting for over 95 % of the nation’s recent dairy merchandise. The DA defined that the corporate now owns greater than 24,000 Holstein cows in its 2.6 million square-meter facility with 40 state-of-the-art barns. The corporate’s dairy manufacturing line has a each day capability of as much as 405 metric tons (MT) of recent milk and juice merchandise.

“Baladna has expressed its curiosity in organising a large-scale and totally built-in dairy facility within the Philippines designed to be climate-independent utilizing world-class administration techniques,” DA mentioned.

DA added that the venture will enhance native milk manufacturing by 120 million liters from the present milk manufacturing of 26.71 million liters.

“This can be bringing the Philippines’ whole milk manufacturing to 146.71 million liters, thus contributing to addressing the native demand of two,927.04 million liters, of which bulk is imported,” Dar mentioned.

“The investments will have the ability to generate 2,000 new jobs through the preliminary part of its first full yr of operations, offering vital alternatives for home employment,” Dar added.

DA mentioned Baladna QPSC’s foremost consideration in investing within the Philippines is to “degree the taking part in subject and foster home dairy manufacturing.”

“In the meantime, the assist of DTI, by the Board of Funding [BOI], is thru the facilitation of the availment of incentives underneath the Company Restoration and Tax Incentives for Enterprises [CREATE] regulation, which can even be prolonged to producers who can be sourcing domestically their inputs,” DA mentioned.

DA mentioned it has already recognized 5 attainable areas for the Baladna QPSC venture. The division added that it’s already able to welcome Baladna QPSC’s staff for a web site go to within the Philippines within the subsequent few weeks.

“The DA will repeatedly present the wanted assist to quick monitor the implementation of this venture in coordination with DTI and different associate businesses,” Dar mentioned.