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Nestlé Strengthens Dairy Development Programme Through MOU with Aripo Livestock Limited

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Port-of-Spain

Effective October 16, 2020, Nestlé Trinidad and Tobago Limited has signed a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Aripo Livestock Limited, one of the country’s largest dairy farms. The Agreement is part of Nestlé’s ongoing Dairy Development Programme, under which the company collaborates with farmers to strengthen the dairy industry. 

Aripo Livestock Limited 1
Left to Right: Lincoln Thackorie – Aripo Livestock Limited, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat – Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, and Patricio Torres – Head of Market Nestlé Anglo Dutch Caribbean

 

Speaking at the signing, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat said, Nestlé  is an important part of the food landscape, both locally and globally. The partnership with the Aripo Livestock Limited is an important one, if the country wants to increase the amount of milk that is available for consumption, the Minister said. He added, that both parties stand to benefit tremendously from this venture, more-so the famers and it is his expectation that this will serve as a success model for large and smaller farmers in going forward.

Aripo Livestock Limited is a pioneering Public Private Partnership which is engaged in large scale livestock development; it began operations in October 2019 and currently has a dairy herd of 137 Jersey and Holstein dairy cattle. 

Nestlé Trinidad and Tobago has been the sole collector of local fresh milk from dairy farmers in Trinidad and Tobago for more than 60 years and has been instrumental in driving the development and sustainability of the dairy industry through education, technical and financial support to farmers.  

Nestlé will collaborate with Aripo Livestock Limited by supplying technology and technical support and by sharing best practices to facilitate the production of high-quality milk in compliance with the policies and regulations that govern Nestlé. 

Aripo Livestock Limited 2
Left to Right: Elisa Doldron – BEO Nestle Anglo Dutch Caribbean (ADC), Lincoln Thackorie – Aripo Livestock Limited, Patricio Torres – Head of Market Nestlé ADC, Senator the Honourable Clarence Rambharat – Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Richard Seetaram, Head of Supply Chain Nestlé ADC, Denise d’Abadie, Head of Corporate Communications Nestlé ADC

 

Under the MOU, Aripo Livestock Limited will supply all of the fresh milk it produces to Nestlé in accordance with stringent quality standards specified by Nestlé. This will ensure the continued long-term supply of local fresh milk to Nestlé and thus to consumers, while also ensuring the long-term sustainability of the dairy industry in Trinidad and Tobago. 
 
“The dairy industry is a significant aspect of our operations at Nestlé. We collect 100% fresh cows’ milk daily from 102 local farmers across Trinidad and Tobago to manufacture our UHT Milks,” says Patricio Torres, Nestlé’s Head of Market for the Anglo Dutch Caribbean, “We want to ensure that our local farmers get support in implementing modern and sustainable solutions through partnership initiatives like this one. We are extremely pleased to partner with Aripo Livestock Limited — this will boost our milk supply while helping our new partner develop a strong and sustainable dairy operation. We are super proud of being the only company who can incorporate the T&T flag on our UHT fresh full cream milk.”

Nestlé’s dairy development initiatives range from free artificial insemination services, pregnancy diagnosis and the monitoring of Sub-Clinical Mastitis in dairy cattle, to a special Mulato Grass and corn silage programme to improve the quality of forage. The company also invests directly in dairy infrastructure.

It is expected that Nestlé will begin collecting raw milk from Aripo Livestock Limited from as early as January 2021. 

Cows grazing
Cows grazing at Aripo Livestock Limited