• Qatar’s Baladna to build $3.5B dairy complex in Algeria
• 117,000-hectare farm to house 270,000 cows, cut imports
• Project targets late 2027 output; 5,000 jobs expected

Qatar's Baladna food group plans to build what it calls the world's largest dairy complex in Algeria, a $3.5 billion project and one of the most significant agro-industrial initiatives ever undertaken in the North African country.

The project involves establishing a 117,000-hectare farm in the Adrar region to house a herd of 270,000 cows. This massive farm will supply raw materials to a production plant capable of producing 200,000 tons of powdered milk per year. Construction of the plant, to be led by GEA Group AG, is scheduled to begin in 2026, with the first powdered milk production expected by late 2027.

According to Algerian authorities, the project is expected to create around 5,000 jobs and reduce the country's powdered milk imports by nearly half. In 2020, Algeria was Africa's largest importer of dairy products. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows the average annual per capita milk consumption there was estimated at 114 liters, the highest on the continent. To meet its growing demand, Algeria imports more than 400,000 tons of milk each year, valued at nearly $800 million. The country is the fourth-largest global consumer of powdered milk, behind China, Brazil, and the European Union.

This initiative is part of Baladna's strategic expansion in Africa, which is the world's third-largest dairy-importing region. The Qatari food group has also announced a $1.5 billion project in Egypt, Africa's second-largest dairy importer, and has stated its intention to establish a dairy farm in Nigeria's Ogun State.

Espoir Olodo