The Ruler of Sharjah inaugurates the first phase of the Maliha Dairy Farm and launches its identity
Sharjah, April 29 / WAM / His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, today, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the first phase of the Mleiha Dairy Farm, and launched its corporate identity. And visual.
Upon his arrival, His Highness witnessed the farm’s bell being rung by a group of children, marking its official opening.
In his speech on this occasion, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah stressed the integration of productive projects in the emirate to provide healthy food for all family members, which includes a vegetable production project, a wheat farm project, a dairy farm, and a poultry farm scheduled to open soon, in addition to specialized education to support these projects with cadres. Scientifically qualified, represented by the establishment of Al Dhaid University, providing a decent life for citizens, and achieving the stability of society and achieving its goals of raising sons and daughters with the correct upbringing.
His Highness expressed his happiness at the success of the first two projects on vegetables, and the second, which is the wheat project in Mleiha, which started with approximately 450 hectares, and the protein percentage for the first time was 18% as the highest and best percentage and protein in the first year, and it rose in the second year to 19.1% with the increase in the cultivated area. To 1400 hectares.
Regarding the dairy farm project, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah said, “Today we are opening the third project, whose budget is approximately 600 million dirhams, which is a large budget. What we are seeing today is the beginning, and work is underway to complete what is planned for the project.”
His Highness added, “The cows included in the farm are original breed cows that have not undergone any genetic improvements. We have been working for two years to purchase them from northern Germany and southern Denmark and assemble them in a center affiliated with the Sharjah government, so that the cow arrives at the farm pregnant with a female fetus, through a medical process.” A scientific study carried out under medical supervision, in which female cows are inseminated so that each one of them carries a female fetus,” His Highness explained that the number of cows currently included in the farm is 1,200 cows, which will give birth to another 1,200 cows when they are born, and new numbers will join them next season.
His Highness pointed out that the cows project receives full attention in all aspects, as the cows are cared for in terms of health, environment, food and natural growth. So that milk is a complete healthy food, and that within the next three years it will become the largest project to produce clean, natural organic milk, stressing that it will be a healthy product with all its specifications, as it will be packaged in custom paper containers that prevent light and oxygen from entering it, while these containers will be recycled after use. .
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah touched on the fourth project, which is the poultry project, indicating that it completes the first three projects, and explaining that the poultry that will be raised in it will be of a slow-growing breed that depends on free breeding and organic agriculture, and that its products of poultry meat and eggs will be natural because they will depend on Natural food, in addition to using natural folk medicines to treat them in case of illness, and avoiding the use of growth accelerators, hormones, and artificial materials, as well as raising them in large, open spaces so that they can grow comfortably over a period of no less than 70 days.
His Highness explained the harms of using unhealthy materials and growth accelerators in poultry and cows. It affects human hormones and causes an increase in cancerous diseases, in addition to its abnormal effect on human growth.
His Highness explained that these production projects integrate with each other, as the remains of each product are used to feed the other product or fertilize the soil with natural fertilizers from animal manure and waste, which makes them environmentally friendly projects.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah concluded his speech by addressing parents about the necessity of taking care of children from a young age, as nurseries are available for them from the first year, due to the importance of sound socialization of children, and preserving language, culture, heritage and faith, because this is the well-being and future of society and the nation.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah toured the farm’s facilities, which have an area of three million and seventy-seven thousand square metres, and include purebred Holstein cows, the first of their kind in the Middle East, and produce organic milk containing the “A2A2” protein.
During the tour, His Highness viewed the farm’s barns, which were designed with a metal structure to suit climate change, and in the first phase included 1,200 herbal cows carrying females. Over the next five years, with the completion of the 63 barns, it will work to establish a nucleus herd consisting of 5,000 cows carrying natural, non-genetically modified “A2A2” genes.
His Highness was also briefed on the latest technologies used in monitoring cows through necklaces attached to the neck of each cow. To monitor their movement and health, and determine the date of their vaccination, in addition to using the automatic feeding system and rubber flooring. To maintain the safety of cows during the feeding period, and the locking system that contributes to facilitating the intake of feed, and helps in stabilizing it during periodic checks, and automatic cleaning methods through the flow of water that is treated in safe ways in the water treatment purification unit on the farm, in addition to the cooling system. And dry fans to repel insects.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah listened to an explanation about the space available for cows inside and outside barns, which depends on organic laws and legislation. It contributes to reducing stress on them, and how to apply biosecurity procedures on the farm and all its facilities, in addition to the organic feed that the cows are fed and its sources.
The farm relies on several sources to provide feed, starting with the center for manufacturing balanced feed mixtures on the farm, examining the ingredients to ensure their quality and compliance with specifications, and allocating space on the farm to grow organic feed, in addition to relying on organic wheat hay and bran from the Maliha farm.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah reviewed the automated secondary parlour, designated for newborn cows, with a capacity of fifty points, while two main circular automatic parlors for dairy cows will be established later, with a capacity of eighty points each, so that one milking cycle takes seven minutes, which will enable the milking of three thousand. A cow within seven hours in one circular parlor, three times a day.
In a parental dialogue session with a group of children during the tour, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah explained the importance of eating healthy food and its impact on the future of human life. His Highness called on children to be ambassadors to educate their peers about the necessity of adhering to healthy food and staying away from harmful food.
His Highness listened to the children’s opinions about the types of healthy and harmful foods and the health effects they cause to the human body, and viewed samples of paper boxes and environmentally friendly containers in which the Mleiha Dairy Farm’s fresh milk, yoghurt and labneh products will be packed.
The Mleiha Dairy Farm, which is supervised by the Sharjah Agricultural and Animal Production Foundation “IKTVA”, is based on the model of organic production prepared using authentic methods, as the first farm of its kind in the Middle East. The herd of cows that will be raised there has been selected from a natural breed characterized by extreme endurance, especially since it was raised In open natural pastures, which makes it have a strong immunity that reduces its exposure to diseases, in addition to that its milk is rich in “A2A2” protein, which is of high quality, and a higher percentage of fats and proteins, compared to other types of cows. It contains a fat content of approximately more than 4%, and a protein content of 3.5%. It is considered one of the finest types of milk that will reach consumers in its natural form without any interference or reduction in its components. It is also characterized by ease of digestion and reduces intestinal disorders.
The Foundation works, within its various projects, to ensure the achievement of a sustainable food security system, and to achieve integration through the circular economy to produce organic fertilizer to preserve the environment, which contributes to increasing soil fertility and providing it with the necessary and beneficial elements. Which is one of the most important inputs in the wheat farm in Mleiha, which in turn supplies the Mleiha dairy farm and the poultry farm with organic feed. This is with the aim of achieving integration between agricultural and livestock production, and achieving the principle of the circular economy, which promotes sustainable development and future economic growth.
This innovative method represents the set of economic benefits of the circular model and represents a great opportunity for the Emirate of Sharjah to focus on improving resource efficiency and effectiveness, by reducing waste and waste in the manufacturing and reuse process, and extending the life cycle of materials and products in an environmentally appropriate manner.
The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Head of the Department of Statistics and Community Development, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Majid Al Qasimi, Director of the Department of Municipal Affairs, His Excellency Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Community Protection, and His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Emirate of Sharjah. And a number of senior officials and notables of the region.
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