A shipment of Canadian dairy heifers arrived in Doha on January 12, destined for their new home at the Baladna farm in Al Khor, the Canadian embassy in Doha has said.  
London Dairy International Farms Ltd of Ontario has supplied more than 6,000 Holstein-heifers to Baladna since its first shipment started last year, according to a statement from the embassy. 
“London Dairy International won the tender, set out in August 2018. They have proven to be a reliable and very good-quality supplier of high-quality heifers. Canadian cows are known for their high-level production of milk and a good body type. These two crucial components perfectly fit with our ambitious farm operation in Qatar,” Baladna’s general manager (farms) Chris Blakeney said.
“I’m very excited to be here to welcome the last shipment of 2,275 heifers arriving in Qatar. These cows are a tangible culmination of many months’ work between London Dairy International and Baladna,” Canada’s ambassador Stefanie McCollum said. “I am proud that Canada has contributed to Qatar achieving self-reliance in its dairy industry.”
Baladna Group CEO Ramez al-Kayyat noted, “The Baladna farm is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies. It has a controlled climate cooling system that enables to control humidity and decrease the temperature inside the barns up to 25C, compared to the outside ambient temperature. This will help to acclimatise the cows comfortably.” London Dairy International president Benji Faulkner added, “Working with Baladna has been both a pleasure and an honour. It was our first big project in the Middle East, and the co-operation from the initial selection to the final boat shipment, has been very good and continues to grow.”
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