Arla Foods has developed a mobile milk powder packaging facility to test new markets in Africa.
The facility – made out of three 40-foot containers – will be first used in the Ivory Coast, where Arla plans to sell consumer milk powder products.
“The aim is to offer milk powder products to consumers in Ivory Coast. This first mobile packaging facility is a pilot project and we will evaluate whether to go ahead in other African countries based on our experience with this project,” a spokesperson said.
Arla has made recent significant investments in China but has a smaller presence in Africa. The company’s business in Africa is “primarily” in north Africa and in Nigeria, the spokesperson noted.
“Our focus is on milk powder and infant formula however our ambition is to include other consumer products as well. We do have a packaging facility together with a local partner in Nigeria today. The milk powder is exported in bulk and then repcaked into smaller pouches locally,” she said.
The co-op, the spokesperson added, had identified “several” other African markets with potential, including Djibouti and Ghana.
