Family Milk, a leading dairy producer within Ethiopia is expanding its partnership with SGI Frontier Capital – an international private equity fund – to help expand its operations and introduce a new pioneering technology to the country.
At its facility located in the Lafto Industrial Zone, the company unveiled the Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) technology – a uniform like technology made popular in Europe and North America to help sterilize raw-milk by heating it above 135 degrees and giving it an extended shelf-life of up to six months with no need of refrigeration.
The new technology will allow the company to distribute its products in all the regions of the country without the need to compromise the quality of its products and serve clients often forced to rely on powdered milk, in substitute of fresh milk.
The company operates two operations in addition to the one in Lafto and the other in Mebrathail Gofa area and operates three different raw-milk collection centers in the Oromia region. It produces and distributes variety of products, including milk, yogurts, butter and cheese.
“Our ambition is to provide families with the best dairy products the country has to offer by providing the best nutrition that is available,” said Haile Eshetu, the General Manager of the company.
While the country has growing milk producers, the issue of expired milk continues to be a recurring issue among the population. The new technology is expected to curb that fear.
Family Milk was established by Mechal Argaw in 2001 and joined the market in 2007. It sold 45 percent of its share to the American Investment firm in 2016. The company has been looking at expanding and eyeing the business of exporting its products to neighboring nations.
