The expansion and introduction of new product lines at the Investment Co. for Dairy Products (ICDP) which manufactures, markets, and distributes fresh milk and other dairy products under the brand name “Dina Farms” took place as scheduled despite challenging market conditions brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic
Qalaa Holdings (CCAP.CA on the Egyptian Exchange), an African leader in energy and infrastructure, announced today that ICDP, a subsidiary of its Agrifoods investment, Dina Farms, the largest fully integrated dairy farm in Egypt and Africa, has capitalized on its long history of providing the highest quality fresh products with a new venture into the fresh juice market in time for peak demand during the month of Ramadan. The new range of Dina Farms brand juices, sold at supermarkets nationwide, includes 4 flavors; orange, mango, strawberry and lemon mint (and soon pineapple), that come in family-size and single-serve packaging.
The fresh juice launch comes on the back of the successful expansion in yogurt production that saw the company double its yogurt production capacity to 50 million cups per annum with the introduction of an additional production line that can produce 10,000 cups of yogurt per hour. In January 2020 ICDP also relaunched its existing yogurt line with new packaging and new strawberry flavored yogurt. ICDP also produces and markets Dina Farms dairy products made from fresh milk, including five products; plain and multi-flavored milk in individual and family packages, in addition to yoghurt, cheese, skimmed, powdered milk and butter, . Its worth mentioning that the company's annual fresh milk capacity reaches 35 million packs.
“We continue to take pride in the notable operational achievements at Dina Farms. Management has taken important steps to implement facility enhancements that are improving efficiency and maximizing yields. As a case in point, ICDP was able to transition idle milk production capacity to produce a new juice line with minimal investments to the existing production line,” said Qalaa Chairman and Founder, Ahmed Heikal.
“Our juices are 100% natural made from real fruits which is why they have a 15-day shelf life to preserve the goodness, health benefits and flavor of the fruits. We are particularly proud of the quality of this range which is the product of a tremendous amount of hard work from our entire team and we cannot wait for our customers to try it and give us their feedback,” said Yasmine Abany, Marketing Manager at ICDP.
ICDP produces and markets Dina Farms’ dairy products, including five product categories: fresh milk (single-serve, multi-serve and flavored/unflavored), yogurt, cheese, skimmed milk powder (SMP), and butter. ICDP’s current fresh milk capacity stands at 35 million bottles per annum.
Dina Farms was originally acquired by Qalaa Holdings in 2007 and has today grown to become Egypt and North Africa’s largest fully integrated farm with an agricultural footprint of over 10,000 acres and 17,194 heads of cattle, of which 8,529 are milking cows. The dairy farm was originally established in 1987 with 300 pure breed Holstein Friesian heifers.
Dina Farms is currently the leading market player in its category controlling c. 70% of the fresh milk market in Egypt. The dairy farm supplies c. 20% of raw milk sales to ICDP and the remaining goes to key players in the dairy industry.
In addition to the dairy farm and fresh milk production, Dina Farms also has an agriculture segment and an onsite retail outlet, Al Shader, that sells produce, dairy, and other household items. Dina Farms’ four business sectors – agricultural production, animal production, dairy production and the farm’s retail outlet “ Al Shader”– have allowed it to adopt an integrated business model that gives it a strong competitive advantage. Dina Farms continues to operate safely and efficiently throughout the COVID crisis to ensure business continuity and an uninterrupted supply of safe, high-quality food products to consumers nationwide.
Qalaa Holdings’ investments in the agrifoods sector began in 2007 through Dina Farms and were geared toward boosting the agricultural sector in Egypt , in addition to developing Dina farms to become a fully integrated farm in Egypt and the region. The company’s strategy focuses on introducing new levels of specialization and consolidation into the market, in addition to introducing top-notch, fresh reliable products from trusted sources. While the majority of Qalaa’s portfolio in the agrifoods sector has been successfully divested, it remains committed to Dina Farms, its key investment in the agrifoods sector owned under agrifoods platform company, Gozour.
Dina Farms stands as a model for integrated economic projects committed to environmental and social sustainability practices. Besides using technology to provide irrigation water, the company is currently expanding the use of solar energy to generate electricity, leading to a reduction in its carbon footprint. In addition to the company's commitment to environmental best practices, it also takes into account its social responsibility by committing to employ and train members of its local community.
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Dina Farms is the largest fully integrated farm in both the private and public sectors in Egypt and Africa with an agricultural footprint of over 10,000 acres. The farm operates under four divisions (livestock, agricultural, ICDP (a subsidiary of Dina Farms that markets and distributes the company’s fresh milk products), and Shader (its sole retail outlet).
Qalaa Holdings (CCAP.CA on the Egyptian Stock Exchange) is an African leader in energy and infrastructure. Formerly known as Citadel Capital, Qalaa Holdings controls subsidiaries in industries including Energy, Cement, Transportation & Logistics, Mining and Printing & Packaging. To learn more, please visit qalaaholdings.com.
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For more information, please contact:
Ms. Ghada Hammouda
Chief Sustainability & Marketing Officer
Qalaa Holdings (S.A.E.)
Tel: +20 2 2791-4439
Fax: +20 22 791-4448
Mobile: +20 106 662-0002
Twitter: @qalaaholdings