Capacity
In an industry where companies are experiencing slow growth, Al Rawabi Dairy Company grew by double digits in 2016 compared to the single digit industry average.
This achievement is the result of strategic thinking, phased investments over the years and innovation. The company invested AED 125 million (US $34.2 million) to expand farm facilities and dairy cattle in 2013, and another AED 22 million (US $6 million) in 2014 in new third generation filling and pasteurisation lines.
“The last few years have seen Al Rawabi grow steadily to become the largest dairy manufacturer in the UAE and across the region with production levels of 250, 000 litres of fresh milk daily. With the dairy market growing at a steadfast speed, we aim to enter new markets as the distribution channels develop and barriers to distribution continue to come down,” said Al Rawabi general manager Dr. Ahmed El Tigani.
Welfare
The dairy industry is under incresing pressure to clean up its act when it comes t animal welfare. At Al Rawabi Dairy Company, cow’s welfare has remained a priority. Cows benefit from innovative cooling and showering systems to tackle the UAE heat.
Each cow is identified via an electronic ear tag controlled by a computerised system, and benefits from a customised feeding sheet (TMR) to ensure that they are being properly nourished. Ecologically, Al Rawabi has implemented water recycling to minimise its environmental footprint, reusing the water for cooling the herd and land irrigation purposes.
Speaking about the company’s welfare pratices, El Tigani said: “On the occasion of our 28th anniversary, Al Rawabi is very proud of creating a facility that matches the highest standards of the most sophisticated dairies in Europe in terms of production, cow welfare and also environmental consideration. All the water at our facilities is recycled and our cows are completely antibiotic-free. Antibiotics are only given to cows for medical treatments, and those cows undergoing treatment for any reason are removed from the milk production cycle for the duration.”
Quality
The Middle East region is largely reliant on imports of fresh produce and dairy products are no exception. Despite the fact that local dairy companies exisit, their European counterparts are more readily associated with quality.
Al Rawabi’s renewed focus on its product offerings, geared towards regional needs and demands, is helping the dairy company to be perceived as a local company with products that are on par with dairy imports coming in from European countries such as France.
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