“From Grass to Glass”
LR’s support of the Mandalia Dairy Integration Farm and the rest of the far-reaching SITEA project aims to take practical steps towards improving food self-sufficiency in Chad. The Mandalia Farm is located just south of N’Djamena, the country’s capital and largest urban center. The farm is intended to provide healthy, high quality produce at affordable prices in local markets, reducing reliance on expensive imports and enhancing public wellbeing.
The Opportunity
Establishing a modern dairy farm to promote sustainable rural development and improved food security by introducing more efficient, advanced production facilities.
Adversely affected by decades of upheaval and conflict, Chad’s agricultural sector is largely undeveloped and centered on subsistence farming, yet is vital to the country’s economy and public health. Poor infrastructure and a lack of adequate training have led to cost-inefficient farming methods and widespread food insecurity. Agricultural development is essential to the progress of Chad and its people, as the country seeks to improve quality of life and create a stable foundation for economic growth, education, and a brighter future for all residents.
The Vision
Improving food security and rural development through advanced multidisciplinary farms.
The goal of the Mandalia Dairy Farm project is to ensure a reliable milk supply that will be marketed and distributed throughout the region. The project is part of a comprehensive food security policy and is intended to take Chad’s agricultural industry to the next level.
The Mandalia Dairy Integration Farm will produce a variety of milk products for the local market, while providing employment and training in modern farming techniques for the surrounding community. By giving local farmers opportunities to collaborate with the agro-industrial dairy farm, LR and its partners will help promote Chad’s food security. Working together, the Mandalia Farm and the surrounding community will build a new generation of professionals to lead a flourishing dairy industry.
The Challenges
Introducing new agricultural infrastructure and working methods.
LR is tasked with supplying all the structures required for the new dairy farm. This includes carrying out preliminary studies of the area, architectural planning and construction, equipment installation, and the eventual launch of the farm in full working order. All this needs to be accomplished in line with the pre-determined budget and schedule, providing everything necessary for the farm’s ongoing success.
The project manager recruited local workers for a variety of construction and farming activities and closely coordinated with the Chad authorities. Together, they have overcome many bureaucratic hurdles, solved infrastructure challenges, and ensured that all imported materials adhere to accepted international quality standards.
The Project
Dairy integration farm with all infrastructure and equipment needed to house large herds of cattle and produce a variety of dairy products.
The Mandalia Dairy Integration Farm is currently being established in the N’Djamena region as part of the SITEA project. This modern dairy industrial center will include a state of the art barn and milking facility, seed and grain silos, offices, and even a repair shop.
Using cutting-edge eco-friendly construction, the large, airy barn will employ the world’s most advanced technologies, composting all waste and providing the very best conditions for the farm’s animals. The digital manager will allow the staff to closely monitor the health of each and every cow, including running medical tests and tracking milk production.
The facility holds 375 dairy cows, and will initially produce fresh milk and yogurt, with plans to expand to other products in the future. In addition, 110 hectares of fields will grow food for the dairy cows, and four collection centers in the N’Djamena region will collect milk from local small-scale farmers.
The project will provide cutting-edge training for local employees, eventually providing jobs for approximately 150 people.
The farm requires the setup of basic amenities such as water and electricity supplies, transportation, and staff facilities, as well as cattle sheds, milking parlors, packing centers, and more. This will allow the facility to run efficiently and sustainably as a food source and job creator for the local market.
During the second phase of the project, Mandalia and the other SITEA farms will be expanded and new farms will be developed, in addition to a range of other community services (schools, clinics, cultural centers, etc.) intended to support sustainable rural development.
The Impact
This ambitious project will influence the growth of agriculture throughout Chad, with a widespread social impact.
The Mandalia dairy farm will produce 62,500L of fresh milk each week, which will be sold in the form of UHT milk, pasteurized milk, yogurt, cheese, and dairy drinks. Even before production begins, the farm’s influence on the region will begin as local workers are employed and jobs are created indirectly in sales, transportation, and micro-finance. Agricultural workers will be trained in modern, efficient production methods at all stages of dairy production.
Like the rest of the SITEA farms, Mandalia will have a significant economic impact, generating an operating profit. Part of its revenue will be paid as salaries to employees, merchants, and various other workers associated with the farm’s activities. The opportunity for long-term employment, together with food security and steady income, will improve quality of life for many residents throughout the region.
On a larger scale, it is expected that the SITEA project will serve as a model for other national or international businesses, and assist them in directing their investments towards future viable projects in similar fields.
