Berwaqo Milk Processing Plc, a one month old company, is preparing to export camel milk and its byproducts to other East African nations.

Currently the company processes 700 liters of milk every day. Yet it intends to eventually increase this number to 10,000 liters per day.

According to the General Manager and Owner of the company, Amir Muktar, Berwaqo is planning to export 40 percent of its total products to Djibouti, Hargessa and Somaliland. As to the rest of the product, it intends to sell it at Dire Dawa, Harar, Somali and Addis Ababa, Amir
furthered.

He added the company has secured a quality certificate from the Somali State Food, Medicine and Health Care Bureau and is hoping to acquire the same certificate from the Federal office.

Commenting on this he said, “The officials will come here and visit or factory. Hopefully, we will receive the certificate within the coming three days”.

USAID has decided to support the company in creating market for dairy producers and collectors as part of its Pastoral Resiliency Improvement and Market Expansion Project.

According to Capital, after it has been checked for qualifying in environmental compliance requirements, the company will secure a U.S $ 354,000 grant.

Amir commented, “We are pretty sure about the huge demand, camels’ milk is consumed daily to a large extent”. “Fortunately, the milk we collect from farmers is organic. This will help us to compete with other companies in the region.”

In addition to milk and byproducts, Berwaqo is planning to produce cosmetics from camels’ milk, Amir noted. He furthered, “Hopefully, we will start making cosmetics within the next three monts”.

According to Capital, a liter of camel milk is sold for 12 Birr in the local market.

Source: Capital