University College Dublin Signs MOU With Leading Chinese Dairy Producer
University College Dublin (UCD) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a leading Chinese dairy producer Dairy United. The MOU which will result in multi-million euro contracts for products and services, envisages the development of a China-Ireland Agricultural demonstration farm in Hohhot(Inner Mongolia), collaborative research projects, the provision of education and training services, and collaboration on the creation of a trade corridor to facilitate the introduction of Irish exporters to the Inner Mongolian region. The Dairy United/UCD link was established through contacts made by Enterprise Ireland over the past 18 months.
UCD will be collaborating with a number of Irish agricultural equipment and services companies to deliver an integrated package of education and training, research, services and technology to Dairy United.
The UCD Dean of Agriculture and Food Science Professor Alex Evans comments: “This partnership came about because of Ireland’s global reputation in dairy production and the ability of UCD and Irish agri-service companies to offer a complete solution, incorporating education, training, agricultural products and services, that meet Dairy United requirements and will form the basis of a long term relationship.”
Julie Sinnamon, executive director of Enterprise Ireland, says: “This MOU is the fruit of substantial work conducted in the past two years, between Dairy United and UCD, with the support ofEnterpriseIreland. The MOU paves the way for a range ofEnterpriseIrelandclient companies across the agri-services sector to provide world-class agri-technology and services to the China market“
Dairy United was founded in 2004 and specialises in dairy production and processing in China. Dairy United has total assets of Eur75 million and operates fifteen 1,000 cow dairy farms supported by over 2,000 ha of forage production land. Dairy United is currently undertaking an expansion strategy which will see it invest Eur360 million over the next five years for the construction of another 35 dairy farms and a modern dairy processing factory. On the completion of the expansion strategy by 2015, Dairy United will have 50 dairy farms with 100,000 dairy cattle and 20,000 ha of forage producing land, and the factory will have a daily fresh milk processing capacity of 500 tons.
