Danish dairy company Arla is to establish a new sales and packaging facility in Ghana next month to extend its presence in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.

Initially employing eight people, the facility will be managed by the company’s Accra-based subsidiary Arla Foods, which will also be responsible for sales and marketing of the products.

Arla Foods will supply products from the company’s Dano range, which includes butter, cheese and powdered milk from brands such as Arla and Lurpak. The products will be distributed through local companies.

“Ghana is a well-developed food market in West Africa, wher Arla has a lot to offer consumers."

Commenting on the move, Arla Sub-Saharan Africa vice-president Steen Hadsbjerg said: “Ghana is a well-developed food market in West Africa, wher Arla has a lot to offer consumers.

“More families in the growing middle-class are increasingly demanding safe and affordable nutrition, and West Africa currently faces a milk deficit, which gives Arla an opportunity to provide dairy products that meet the consumers’ needs.”

The addition of a new market aims to meet the growing demand for nutritious dairy products in Ghana and triple its revenue in Sub-Saharan Africa business region by 2020, Arla said.

As part of Arla’s Good Growth 2020 business strategy, the company aims to develop new markets for its products outside the EU to improve the milk price for the 11,200 farmer-owners that own the company.

The new subsidiary will also manage the company’s existing re-packaging facility in Tema Industrial Park, Ghana.