UAE’s new dairy brand Hayatna has one target – cut down milk imports

UAE’s new dairy brand Hayatna has one target – cut down milk imports

Dubai: Keep an eye out for the latest dairy brand to turn up at UAE’s supermarket shelves – Hayatna. Because the company behind it, Emirates Food Industries, certainly has ambitions on where they want to take the brand in a highly competitive category. This is so even with dairy prices being among the most closely monitored by UAE authorities and any retail price increase needs official clearance. None of this fazes Wasfi Kaso, CEO of EFI, “Not many outside of the dairy industry know that the UAE still imports a sizeable share of its requirements, which is at 30-40 per cent. So, with the emphasis on National Food Security needs, we want to be that new home-grown dairy brand that can gain marketshare in the 30-40 per cent imported space. That in itself is quite substantial.” Certainly, in the last two years, existing brands such as Al Rawabi have raised their production capacities. Emirates Food Industries already operates two dairy farms – National and Masaken - and a factory in Al Ain, with a herd size of more 6,000 putting out 39 million letres of milk a year. Some of that production will now go into developing the Hayatna range.