Sharjah Agriculture and Livestock Production (Ektifa)'s dairy brand Meliha has expanded its line-up to include a laban beverage, in response to rising demand for organic products in the UAE.
This follows the popularity of its organic full fat milk product, which has reportedly drawn long queues for purchase across the UAE.
Sharjah is the third most populated city in the country, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Owned by the Sharjah government's Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Ektifa specialises in agricultural development and sustainable livestock production targeted at achieving food security and improving resource utilisation.
Meliha's organic dairy products are known for their rich content of A2A2 protein, the same protein found in human milk and therefore more easily digested and absorbed by the body.
The new laban (fermented milk drink) product, available in three sizes (2 litres, 1 litre and 180ml), has been sold at Sharjah Co-operative Society retail outlets since January 22, with wider distribution channels to be progressively introduced.
According to Khalifa Al Tunaijim, chairman of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, the farm in Mleiha (also called Mleiha Dairy Farm) produces around 40,000 litres of milk each day.
Its current production capacity for fresh organic laban is approximately 16,000 litres daily.
"The [product] expansion is a direct response to the increasing demand for our organic products. In addition to the laban, new dairy products aimed specifically at children, featuring natural flavours and that are free from additives, are set to launch by the end of January," he said.
2025 has been declared by Sheikh Dr Sultan Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah as the "Golden Year" for the city's organic food sustainability and security efforts.
The initiative also reflects a growing commitment from the UAE industry to promote nutritional lifestyles and the culture of healthy and safe food.
In line with this, Ektifa looks to double the nucleus herd of Mleiha Dairy Farm's cows to 8,000 by the end of this year, with a target of reaching 20,000 heads over the next three years.
This is aimed at ensuring the farm is able to meet local market demands and provide other Gulf markets with high-quality, eco-friendly dairy products while supporting local agriculture.
The first phase of Mleiha Dairy Farm was inaugurated on April 29, 2024, marking a significant advancement in sustainable dairy production in Sharjah.
Said to be the first of its kind in the Middle East, the farm totals an area of 3.077m square metres, and houses purebred Holstein cows from northern Germany and southern Denmark that carry natural, non-genetically modified A2A2 genes.
Both inside and outside of the barns are in accordance with regulations and organic requirements, making it the first large-scale cow farm in the UAE to be certified by SGS.
For instance, biosecurity measures are applied on the farm and all its facilities and the cows are fed on several sources. There is also a centre on the premise for manufacturing balanced feed mixtures, as well as space allocated to grow organic fodder.
Mleiha Dairy Farm is expected to become the largest producer of natural, organic milk in the country within the next three years.
In addition, this farm is part of a series of projects, including vegetable production, wheat farming, dairy farming and poultry farming, which are integrated to establish a circular economy that drives sustainable development and future economic growth.
The by-products from each project are utilised to reduce waste, optimise resource efficiency, and preserve the environment.
For example, the soil is enriched with natural fertilisers derived from animal waste, while wheat hay and bran from the wheat farm supply organic feed for the dairy and poultry farms.