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Sprayfo - Oil for Arabic calves |
Technical Director Steffen Rouwers travelled together with Area Export Manager Teun Schuurkamp to visit our agents from the Middle East (United Arabic Emirates and Saudi Arabia). Many interesting farms were visited, such as the Al-Rawabi Dairy Company with around 4,000 cows and its own dairy plant.
 In Saudi Arabia Steffen and Teun visited different farms in Al Kharj, Hofuf and Hai’il, starting from Riyadh. The visit to AL-SAFI was one of the highlights. You can only enter AL-SAFI through a guarded entrance. A visit is granted to just a few people, for reasons of hygiene and prevention of diseases. Driving up the terrain a big sign catches your attention, stating “AL-SAFI Farm, the largest integrated dairy farm in the world”. The AL-SAFI farm has 35,000 animals of which 17,000 dairy cows on 3,500 hectares of ground. Once more it is clear that Sloten is a wonderful company, when we proudly observe that Sprayfo is fed here. We are pleased to deliver this farm. The AL-SAFI visit starts with an extensive lecture where all heads of departments (cattle, feeds, health, etc.) are present. Afterwards, the group had a tour around the huge farm.
Cows everywhere… The tour has to be done by car, otherwise it would have taken Steffen and Teun a week. It is midwinter with a temperature of as much as 28°C. In summer it often rises above 40°C. Water availability is the biggest problem. Above 30°C cows are sprinkled with water and they can all shelter under a roof to be protected against the blazing sun. The water is pumped up from a depth of at least 800 meters and runs through a water purification system before it is drinkable. Water also is needed for the cultivation of roughage. This is done with the help of tremendous sprinkler installations. Roughage that is made the most is alfalfa grass. Sprinkling every night/morning at these temperatures will result in harvesting ten times a year.
On the premises there are gigantic halls for roughage storage and silos for other raw materials such as maize and wheat. Big mixing machines are used for the ongoing production of TMR (total mixed ratio) feeds. Obviously the milking process also goes on each day. One unit is even equipped with a double 60 stands milking machine!
This travel was tiring but fruitful, by which the mutual relationships are definitely strengthened.
| The United Arabic Emirates consist of seven states (Emirates) of which Dubai is the best known with its capitol Dubai. Everybody knows this city where money seems to be no object. When you drive out of town in the morning in the direction of Al Ain (the biggest Emirate) to visit several companies, the sight-seeing is stunning. Everything is supposed to be bigger and more beautiful. |
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