Forward-thinking dairy plans to multiply milk production by nearly ten times current output

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Zambeef Products’ Kalundu Dairy Farm is gearing up for industrialisation of the local dairy sector with the construction of the largest state-of-the-art rotary milking parlour in Zambia and Central Africa
The new US$1.5 million facility in Chisamba will give the food processing and retailing company the capacity to milk up to 2,500 cows a day in future.

“This is an exciting chapter in Zambeef’s history and in the wider industry, and more so for Zambeef. The new systems and technologies will enable the management of larger herds, which is important for efficiency and growth in the industry,” said Zambeef Head of Retailing, Marketing and Corporate Affairs Felix Lupindula.

The facility uses the same technology found in today’s leading milk-producing countries such as New Zealand, complete with computerised sensors to assist Zambeef’s veterinary department and staff in identifying areas needing attention; each cow is fitted with a monitor or transponder which collects data on the status of its well-being at every milking session.

The highly advanced parlour allows for a closed herd system that serves to prevent animal-to-animal or human-to-animal transmissions of disease, reinforcing Kalundu Dairy Farm’s strict adherence to high bio-security measures.
Happy cows are known to have a higher production output; the new system is more ‘cow friendly’ as it is quicker than the previous one and more relaxing; every cow stands separate, so they are not squeezing on each other, but still kept together. Plans are also underway to install fans in the parlour to help cool down the cows during the much hotter summer months.

The parlour has a single entry and exit point, with the cows walking onto a rotating platform that then carries them to where the operator is waiting to carry out the milking process.

The milk is then transferred directly from the cows into bulk milk tanks which are then delivered to Zambeef’s milk processing plant at nearby Huntley Farm. The constant in-and-out flow of the cows will help to contribute to a high throughput. Upon completion of the milking, the cows are guided by electronic positioning to different gates where they can be called up for particular procedures, such as inoculation or artificial insemination.

The cows go over a weigh scale every time they visit the milking parlour, making it possible to keep a weight record for every animal which allows for the quick identification of sick animals as they tend to lose condition, as well as helping to monitor their feeding and nutrition.

“The facility is giving us so much more than the old facility. On this new system we can get information from every cow, every day, every milking; it gives us milk yield, peak yield in that session, duration of the milk, the conductivity of the milk which is the indication of mastitis and also blood levels; if we can detect issues with a cow, that ensure the very highest quality of products that we supply to the consumer,” said Kalundu Dairy Manager Willa Vorster.

The parlour also includes a maximised cooling system designed to maintain the integrity and freshness of the milk, with storage tank temperatures kept at a regulated optimum levels.

The new development will enable the food company to milk up to 2,500 cows in any given session, effectively reducing the amount of time taken to milk all the cows, hours which can then be invested in other farming activities on the site.

Operating at full capacity, the rotary plant will enable Zambeef to produce as much 60,000, litres of milk a day to feed into its 100,000 litres installed capacity milk processing plant at Huntley Farm, with a further 30,000 output supplemented by small-scale farmers, in order to boost the current output of 23,000 litres, which is currently exceeded by market demand.

Zambeef staff continue to play a vital role in the new plant. While the new revolving mechanism will have a more advanced operation, it cannot run itself, and employees are set to benefit from the acquisition and transfer of a specific new skills set, suited for carrying on the operations at the plant. In addition, Zambeef hopes its suppliers and other farmers in the sector will benefit from the expertise and technology through its already-established familiarisation programmes at Kalundu Dairy Farm.

In addition to the new parlour, plans are in place to construct a further four barns, each with a capacity to house 300 cows at a time, in anticipation of the rotary’s increased capacity of milking up to 2,500 cattle over the coming years.

“The dairy industry in Zambia has great potential with much room for growth and Zambeef remains committed to making key investments, such as the rotary milk plant, which plays a key role in propelling that growth forward,” said Mr Lupindula.

Zambeef’s new state-of-the art rotary dairy parlour in Chisamba.	Cows being milked in Zambeef’s new state-of-the art rotary dairy parlour in Chisamba.
A worker checking equipment at Zambeef’s new state-of-the art rotary dairy parlour at Kalundu Dairy Farm in Chisamba.	A worker checking equipment at Zambeef’s new state-of-the art rotary dairy parlour at Kalundu Dairy Farm in Chisamba.

About Zambeef Products Plc

Zambeef Products Plc is the largest integrated agribusiness and food processing company in Zambia and one of the largest in the region.

The group is principally involved in the production, processing, distribution and retailing of beef, chicken, pork, milk, dairy products, eggs, stockfeed and flour. The group also has large row cropping operations (principally maize, soya beans and wheat), planting 16,500 hectares in summer and 8,000 hectares in winter. The group is also expanding its West Africa operations in Nigeria and Ghana.

The company slaughters around 70,000 beef cattle, 6.75million chickens and 70,000 pigs per annum, while also processing 16 million litres of milk, producing 150,000 tons of stockfeed, 60 million eggs, 78,000 pairs of shoes and processes 97,500 hides in its tannery per year.

It has 177 retail outlets throughout Zambia and West Africa.

Zambeef employs over 6,000 people with a total of K307 million paid in remuneration and benefits in the last year, and contributed K144m to Government in taxes and duties.

More information is available at www.zambeefplc.com