RIYADH, 27 November 2007 — The per capita milk consumption in the Kingdom, at 50-60 liters per annum, is half of that in Europe, with fresh milk intake accounting for 50 percent of the total quantity ingested, Abdulaziz Al-Babtain, CEO of National Agricultural Development Co. (Nadec), a major Saudi joint stock agricultural company, told Arab News.
Speaking at a function at Riyadh School yesterday on the occasion of the World School Milk Day, he said Nadec has stepped up its awareness campaign to educate the youth on the benefits of fresh milk and other dairy products.
A total of 315 students from seven Saudi and international schools participated in the event, which was also celebrated in Jeddah and Dammam. Besides Al-Babtain, Frans Wilson and Mohammed Riyas, senior Nadec executives, were also present. A number of games, songs, interactive programs, distribution of booklets and stickers, among other things, highlighted the event, which was also sponsored by Tetra Pak, a major food, beverage processing and packaging equipment company in the world.
Al-Babtain said milk consumption, especially that of fresh milk, remains low due to the lack of awareness of its health benefits among children. He said his company has launched an intensive promotional drive by targeting the print and electronic media as part of its publicity campaign, besides bringing out brochures, leaflets and flyers distributed in schools, hospitals and other public places. He stressed on the benefits of drinking fresh milk as the build-up of calcium in the body strengthens bones, both among children and adults, especially women, and aids the overall metabolic process for the healthy functioning of the human body.
Asked about the challenges facing the Kingdom’s dairy industry, he said that they stem from the stiff competition in the market and the rising cost of production. As a result, the dairy industry was witnessing a new trend toward acquisitions and mergers. “ We are also facing the problem of the high cost of production as the dollar continues to fall, pushing up the cost of import. We have 26,000 head of cattle in our farm. The cost of fodder and transportation is going up due to the growing phenomenon of escalating prices.” These factors, Al-Babain said, had brought about some fundamental changes in the management strategy to rein in the cost of production without sacrificing the quality of the product. Innovation was the name of the game, whether at the management level or in the dairy farm. “Despite these challenges, we have managed to post eight to 10 percent growth rate annually. We continue to invest in our quality control programs and in our technological resources.”
He further said Saudis represent over 26 percent of their total work force. “We continue to train our Saudi employees. Those who are hard working and committed are given various incentives like increments in their salaries and promotions in order to retain them.”
