China: Friesland Campina announces new research centre to improve dairy products

Friesland Campina has announced that it is to partner with China Agricultural University (CAU) and Wageningen UR (University and Research Centre) to establish a Sino-Dutch Dairy Development Centre (SDDDC) in China.

The three partners envisage the SDDDC to become a research, knowledge and training institute with its own premises and research equipment, staffed by experts in the field of dairy development, the company said. The centre is designed to improve dairy production, safety and quality throughout the dairy chain in China by sharing Dutch dairy expertise with Chinese experts and decision makers in dairy research and the dairy industry.

In the first 3 years the SDDDC is forecast to carry out high profile research projects investigating quality, safety and suitability of Chinese dairy products. It will set up a Dairy Expertise Centre in which the latest safety and quality systems and technologies will be put into practice on a Chinese model farm. Chinese delegations will be invited to the Netherlands to see how the Dutch dairy industry works and interact with Dutch research institutes and governmental institutions. According to the comapany, an academic exchange and training program will also be launched.

Commenting on the announcement, Cees ‘t Hart, CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina, added:  “China is set to become the world’s largest and most important market for dairy. It is therefore important to fully utilize its potential to produce more milk that meets the highest safety and quality standards.”

Source: Friesland Campina