Kibbutz wins $500m. tender for Chinese dairies
08/22/2012 23:15
AfiMilk, a dairy herd management firm run out of Kibbutz Afikim, to build 13 milking parlors serving about 50,000 cows.
Worker uses Kibbutz Afikim technology to milk cows Photo: Courtesy AfiMilk
A dairy herd management firm run out of Kibbutz Afikim in the northern Jordan
Valley has won a $500 million tender to build advanced milking parlors in
China.
The company, AfiMilk, will be building 13 such milking parlors,
which will in turn serve a total of about 50,000 cows. AfiMilk provides
computerized platforms for managing milking routines, which will be used by
Chinese dairy farmers to manage huge cow herds, according to a company
statement.
The tender was issued by Mengniu Dairy, the largest dairy
company in the Chinese market – what AfiMilk describes as “the Tnuva of China,”
producing milk, yogurt and cheese.
AfiMilk is run by
S.A.E.
Afikim, established 33 years ago, and completely owned by Kibbutz
Afikim until recently.
The first electronic meter for measuring milk was
first invented at AfiMilk, a concept that has since expanded all over the
world.
Up until now, Megniu relied mostly upon purchasing fresh milk from
smaller dairy operations, according to Bjanre Rune, vice president of marketing
at AfiMilk. Now, the company has decided to expand its milk production as well
as rely on the Israeli expertise in milking and herd management technology. This
decision will allow Megniu to produce more milk independently, as well as gain
further control over quality in the dairy market, Rune said.