Fresh shipment of Canadian dairy heifers delivered to Baladna

The recent shipment of Canadian dairy heifers arrived in Doha, Qatar on Jan 12 destined for their new home at Baladna Farm in Al Khor.

London Dairy International Farms Ltd of Ontario has supplied over 6,000 Holstein-heifers to Baladna since its first shipment started last year, said Embassy of Canada in a press release.

“London Dairy International won the tender, set out in August 2018. They have proven to be a reliable, and very good quality supplier of high-quality heifers. Canadian cows are known for its high-level production of milk and a good body type. These two crucial components perfectly fit to our ambitious Farm operation in Qatar,” said Chris Blakeney, General Farm Manager of Baladna.

“I am very excited to be here to welcome the last shipment of 2,275 heifers arriving in Qatar. These cows are a tangible culmination of many months’ work between London Dairy International and Baladna,” said Stefanie McCollum, Canada’s Ambassador to Qatar. “I am proud that Canada has contributed to Qatar achieving self-reliance in its dairy industry.”

Ramez Al Kayyat, Group CEO of Baladna said: “Baladna Farm is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies. It has a controlled climate cooling system that enables to control humidity and decrease the temperature inside the barns up to 25 degrees Celsius, compared to the outside ambient temperature. This will help to acclimatize the cows comfortably”.

Benji Faulkner, President London Dairy International said: “Working with Baladna has been both a pleasure and an honour. It was our first big project in the Middle-East, and the cooperation from the initial selection to the final boat shipment, has been very good and continues to grow”.