Dear Reader
Welcome to the Q3 2025 edition of the Arla-Dano Dairy Development Newsletter! We’re excited to bring you the latest updates on Arla-Dano’s milestones, innovations, and partnerships that are shaping the future of dairy in Nigeria.
This quarter, has truly been a memorable one with exciting milestones and celebrations at Arla Foods. On the 10th of September we marked 25 Years of Arla Foods, celebrating the largest Danish and Swedish dairy cooperatives uniting to create the world’s first cross-border dairy cooperative – Arla Foods. Since then, our global cooperative has continued its remarkable growth, and today, we are stronger than ever before. To mark this special day, we had an international townhall meeting hosted by our global CEO Peder Tuborgh and broadcasted to all Arla employees worldwide. Colleagues gathered across the globe to celebrate with festivities in the different regions.
Coincidentally September 23rd also marked our 10th year anniversary of operations in Nigeria and West Africa. This was celebrated across our different offices amongst colleagues. When we reflect on the journey thus far in Nigeria, it is one of immense pride for us to see how we started out with a small team and have grown a successful business despite many challenges. From our Dano milk packaging factory at the Lagos free zone to the Arla-Dano farm in Damau and now our new yoghurt factory in Damau. As we proudly mark 10 years of Arla Foods in Nigeria, we celebrate a remarkable decade of trust, growth, and partnership built around our flagship Dano brand, bringing quality nutrition to millions of families. This milestone is not only a reflection of our past achievements, but also a strong foundation for the future. We are deepening our commitment to nourishing Nigeria by strengthening local dairy value chains, creating jobs, empowering farmers, driving innovation, and shaping a healthier, more sustainable future for generations to come. Here’s to the next 10 years and beyond, nourishing Nigeria, together!
Another important milestone we are looking forward to is our Open Day at the Arla-Dano Damau site coming up on the 29th of October. This will be the 2nd edition where we open our doors to the public. We will have exhibitions of relevant suppliers of dairy farming products and services and will be expecting, farmers, industry experts, students, government officials and media. This landmark event will also mark the official opening of our yoghurt factory in Damau. At the Arla-Dano farm, it remains our priority to share knowledge and show how modern and sustainable dairy farming can be done. We invite you all to this special occasion and hope you can join us.
Do enjoy the read as we also share some dairy farming tips in this edition.
Peder Pedersen MD, Arla Global Dairy Products Ltd.
Arla-Dano Open Day 2025
The Open Day is a celebration of collaboration, innovation, and progress in dairy farming. Guests from across the country will be welcomed to explore our farm, engage with our team, and experience firsthand the practices and partnerships that are shaping the future of dairy in Nigeria. From crop trials and premium bull selection to manure utilisation and biosecurity, our farm reflects the future of responsible dairy farming.
We are also excited to welcome over 20 local and international partners who support our operations with essential products and services. These companies will exhibit at the Open Day, offering guests a closer look at the technologies and solutions that help us maintain high standards across our farm and yoghurt factory. We look forward to hosting farmers, professionals, government officials, and community members at this landmark event.
Together, we are shaping the future of dairy in Nigeria — one cow, one crop, and one conversation at a time.
Exhibiting Partners
Our exhibiting partners will showcase their various dairy farming products and services ranging from animal medication to agricultural equipment and services, feed and fertilizers, power generation and many more!
Management: If It’s Boring for Us, It’s Better for the Cows!
Cows and all cattle have fairly basic needs and are creatures of habit. When working with them, the key is to make their environment and management as consistent as possible. The more “boring” it feels to humans, the better it is for the animals. Same environment, same feed, same management, same routine — everyday, without exception. This consistency provides the stability and systematic approach that animals thrive on, and they reward it with better growth or increased milk production.
Only for Big Farms? So why isn’t it more common to see written SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) on dairy farms, even though we know they improve operations? One reason is that many farmers know their routines by heart. When they hear about SOPs, they may feel the system doesn’t apply to them because they already follow a standard routine — just not one that’s written down. Larger farms tend to adopt SOPs more quickly, likely because they have more employees and recognize the value of maintaining consistency across shifts.
If It Works for Pilots… It might seem odd to write down a routine that a farmer already knows by heart — and even include photos! But experience shows this approach works. Consider professional pilots: they use standardized checklists every time they fly. It’s not because they’re unsure how to take off, fly, or land — they do it daily. But even with their vast experience, SOPs help eliminate errors. Dairy farmers and farm employees should adopt the same mindset. The more uniformed the work is, the better it is for the animals.
How To Get Started When creating SOPs, dairy farmers often ask: “Where do we begin?” The best approach is to start with the most vulnerable animals on the farm. Develop SOPs for their care first, then move on to other critical tasks, gradually covering all routine work. At the Arla-Dano Demonstration Farm, we use photos and explanatory text created by the employees themselves. This works well for us, but each farm is different. The key is to describe routines clearly enough that anyone, even someone familiar with farming but new to your specific farm, can step in, follow the SOP, and complete the task. That’s a good SOP.
Just Go For It! Creating SOPs for a dairy farm is a journey that takes time and effort — but it’s absolutely worth it. The first step is the hardest: shifting to this new way of thinking. After that, things become easier and more natural. A single farm might have up to 100 SOPs, limited only by the scope of tasks. These could cover birth routines, calf management, cleaning and disinfection, milking, feeding different animal groups, vaccination and health monitoring, environmental management, and much more.
So if you’re a dairy farmer — start now. Just Go For It!
Standard Operating Procedure - Birth routine for Calves
SOP for the birth routine of small calves, covering colostrum, navel disinfection, registration, weighing, clean environment, etc.
Why test colustrum? As the Nigerian dairy farming sector develops, more and more farmers are adopting advanced methods for milk production. One of the first changes is that calves are fed milk directly instead of suckling, and they are housed separately from their mothers. This shift brings many challenges, especially regarding calf health, as management needs to be consistent and precise from day to day.
At the Arla-Dano farm, we have created tens of SOP’s and one of them is a dedicated SOP that focuses solely on newborn calf care to ensure each calf has the best possible start in life. This SOP guides employees through a step-by-step procedure for handling newborn calves.
One of the steps in this SOP — highlighted in the article “If It’s Boring for Us, It’s Better for the Cows” — is Step 6: checking the colostrum quality from the calf’s mother. At Arla-Dano, this is done with a Brix meter. For colostrum to pass the test, it must score higher than 25 on the Brix scale. Colostrum below this level is considered low quality and does not provide enough immunoglobulins. If a calf receives low-quality colostrum, its immune system will be less effective, putting its health at risk.
To avoid this, every dairy farm should test colostrum and maintain a supply of high-quality frozen colostrum to use when fresh colostrum does not meet the standard.
Wheel Bath at Arla-Dano Farm
Biosecurity is the first and most crucial step every farm can take to protect its herd from contagious diseases. In Africa, this is especially important, as the continent still contends with several diseases that are fortunately rare elsewhere.
To minimize the risk of disease transmission, strict controls on vehicles, people, and other animals near the herd are essential. When contact is unavoidable, hygiene protocols and disinfection procedures become critical.
At the Arla-Dano Damau site, we take proactive measures by requiring all vehicles to pass through a wheel bath upon entry. This process disinfects the wheels, helping to prevent the introduction of infectious agents unto the farm.
Dairy Coalition Workshop
(Lagos, September 2025)
In early September 2025, Arla Foods, Danone, and FrieslandCampina convened a high-level workshop in Lagos to address one of Nigeria’s most pressing challenges: How to localize milk production to strengthen food security, improve nutrition, boost rural livelihoods, and grow the economy.
Why It Matters
- 75% of Nigerians are food insecure and nearly 1 in 3 children under five are stunted, pointing to severe protein deficiency.
- Nigerians consume only 6–10 litres of milk per person per year, far below the 90–180 litres recommended for a healthy and sustainable diet.
- Nigeria produces ~500k MT of milk annually, but imports more than half of its total dairy needs.
The Opportunity
If Nigeria’s dairy sector met both nutrition and sustainability targets, the market could expand 25-fold, representing a potential $10 billion investment opportunity. Achieving this requires annual production growth of 8% for the next 50 years.
Pathways Forward
The workshop identified several building blocks for progress:
- Boosting yields through artificial insemination, genetics, and improved animal care.
- Scaling farms by supporting smallholders, mid-sized operations, and larger commercial farms.
- Transitioning livestock by converting part of Nigeria’s cattle herd into dual-purpose dairy animals.
- Investing in cold chain, processing, feed systems, and farmer training.
Next Steps
Participants agreed on the need to:
- Pilot investment projects that can demonstrate impact at scale.
- Mobilize blended finance (grants, debt, equity) to unlock the $10bn opportunity.
- Strengthen public–private partnerships to create an enabling environment for sustainable dairy.
Arla Nigeria at 10 Press Release
Arla Nigeria & West Africa @ 10: Celebrating Nourishing Products, Growth & Sustainable Dairy Farming
Arla Nigeria, makers of Dano Milk announced the celebration of its 10th anniversary on the 23rd of September, marking ten years of providing high-quality nourishing dairy products to Nigerian families, while investing in the future of the country’s dairy sector. From ambitious beginnings, Arla Nigeria has grown into a trusted partner to consumers and communities, bringing well-loved brands such as DANO and Lurpak, and more into households across the country.
Since establishing operations in 2015 in Nigeria, Arla has remained committed to its dual role as both a provider of nutritious dairy products and a driver of local development. Beyond expanding its brand portfolio, the company has invested in projects that build a stronger and more sustainable local dairy value chain. A key example of this is the Arla-Dano Farm in Damau, Kaduna, a state-of-the-art facility that not only produces high-quality milk locally but also serves as a hub for knowledge-sharing with smallholder farmers, students and industry stakeholders. Through such initiatives, Arla is providing hundreds of jobs and supporting thousands of farmers to improve productivity and livelihoods, while helping Nigeria advance towards dairy self-sufficiency.
This anniversary also coincides with a global milestone: Arla Foods, the farmer-owned cooperative is celebrating 25 years since its formation in 2000. Together, both milestones underscore the cooperative’s heritage and enduring commitment to creating long-term value for consumers, farmers, and society.
Speaking on the milestone, Peder Pedersen, Managing Director of Arla Foods Nigeria, said: “Marking 10 years in Nigeria is both humbling and inspiring for us at Arla as we reflect on our journey and achievements, despite many challenges. From our very first day, we set out to not only bring trusted brands like DANO, Lurpak and more to Nigerian households, but also to play an active role in building the local dairy industry.”
Addressing the company’s broader commitment, he added: “Over the past decade, we have partnered with government, supported farmers, created jobs, and invested in backward integration projects such as the Arla-Dano Dairy Farm. As we celebrate our tenth year in Nigeria alongside Arla Foods’ 25th anniversary globally, we look to the future with confidence, strengthening our impact locally, supporting dairy farmers, and continuing to deliver tasty and nutritious dairy products today and for generations to come.”
Arla’s presence in Nigeria is anchored by a dedicated team of Nigerian professionals and international experts working together with values of collaboration, transparency, and sustainability. Through active engagement with the Kaduna State Government, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and now the Ministry of Livestock Development, Arla plays a key role in shaping Nigeria’s dairy sector.
As Arla Nigeria marks its 10-year milestone, it recommits to its mission: nourishing Nigerians with tasty wholesome products, building a sustainable, self-reliant Nigerian dairy sector powered by local production, innovation, and partnerships. The ambitious targets set like annual milk output and expanded training reflect a future-oriented strategy grounded in impact.
Meet Our Farm Manager
Robert Edwards is a highly experienced farm manager from South Africa. He recently joined the Arla-Dano Farm team, bringing onboard his extensive expertise in large-scale dairy operations.
We recently had a great chat with him, where he reflected on his time so far in Nigeria and shared some fun stories from his life at the farm.
Tell us about yourself in a few words.
I’m Robert, originally from South Africa. I’m married and blessed with four beautiful grown-up kids. Farming has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and integrity is something I value deeply.
What inspired you to leave South Africa and take on the challenge of managing a dairy farm in Kaduna, Nigeria?
I wanted to take on something bigger than myself — a challenge that would grow me both professionally and personally. Nigeria’s dairy industry has huge potential, and the opportunity to contribute to its development while sharing my knowledge really excited me.
Tell us about your first day on the farm in Kaduna – any surprises?
The heat was a big surprise for me! Coming from South Africa, I thought I was used to warm weather, but Kaduna took it to another level. Luckily, the warm welcome from the team balanced it out, and their eagerness to work and learn made me feel right at home.
What’s your favourite part of the day on the farm?
Early mornings. There’s something about the quiet before the day gets busy — walking through the farm, seeing the cows calm and content, and knowing the work ahead has purpose.
If you weren’t a farmer, what would you be doing instead?
Probably something still linked to the land — maybe wildlife conservation or working with animals in some way. Farming is in my blood, though, so it’s hard to imagine anything else.
What advice would you give to young Nigerians interested in dairy farming?
Start small, be willing to learn every single day, and never give up when things get tough. Dairy farming takes patience and consistency, but it’s a rewarding career that can make a big difference in people’s lives. You also really have to work hard — there are no shortcuts. You can’t just become a manager from the start; you first need to put in the effort, gain experience, and understand the work from the ground up.
In Other News
Arla Star is Barn - Season 3: A Decade of Stars
The third season of Arla Star is Barn, Arla’s in-house talent show, lit up the stage with dazzling performances and heartfelt moments as Arla colleagues across West Africa came together to celebrate creativity, unity, and ten years of Arla’s impact in West Africa. This year’s theme, “A Decade of Stars,” honoured our journey while also spotlighting the diverse talents of our people.
Starting with the initial call for entries in May, the programme featured themed tasks, boot camps, bonding sessions and a curated showcase of original works. Culminating in a high-energy grand finale in Lagos, the event delivered unforgettable experiences, crowning new Arla Stars for 2025.
Events like this reflect Arla’s ongoing commitment to fostering a great workplace, where creativity is encouraged, community is celebrated, and every voice has a chance to shine.