BANDAR ENSTEK, Negri Sembilan: Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd (DLMI) has today inaugurated its new RM540 million state-of-the-art manufacturing hub here.
Deploying eight production lanes, the Halal manufacturing facility is integrated with Industry 4.0 technology to meet Malaysian and regional demand for the long-term.
DlMI said the new manufacturing hub with export capacity will introduce new skills relevant to the new generation of Malaysians to spur new opportunities for growth in terms of innovation, improved efficiencies and overall sustainability.
"We will be operational by this year, after several years of hard work together with relevant stakeholders to bring this project to fruition," DLMI managing director Ramjeet Kaur Virik said.
The Yang Di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir officially inaugurated DLMI@Enstek.
Also present were the state's senior executive councillor Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (representing Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun) and ambassador of the Netherlands to Malaysia Jacques Werner.
FrieslandCampina, the main shareholder in DLMI, was represented by chief executive officer Jan Derck van Karnebeek.
Ramjeet noted that this important milestone in the company's history is made possible by collaborating with the federal and state government.
They included agencies such as the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Invest Negri Sembilan and Negri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs Department.
DLMI said the significant investment is a strong commitment towards building long-term public-private partnerships to help improve Malaysia's dairy sector particularly in raw milk production as well as combat the triple burden of malnutrition in different segments of society.
As part of FrieslandCampina in the Netherlands, Ramjeet emphasised that the DLMI@Enstek will be a critical hub in FrieslandCampina's global supply chain network and concurrently demonstrate the company's confidence in Malaysia's present and future economic opportunities.
"DLMI@Enstek is our strong commitment to nation-building and at the same time, rapidly embracing the latest food technologies on par with global best practices," she added.
The facility is also expected to increase Negri Sembilan's competitiveness as a magnet for new investments and further help create new spin-off economic benefits to the local economy.
The company's strong Dutch dairy expertise link further cements its leadership role in the country.
Van Karnebeek said the facility will enable DLMI to continue producing high-quality dairy products for Malaysians and the region.
He added that FrieslandCampina has consistently aided and supported Malaysian dairy farmers with the latest techniques and technology in cooperation with the government.
"Our dairy heritage and know-how continues to support Malaysian dairy farmers in learning new methods to help improve the quality and quantity of local raw milk production and contribute to the food security of Malaysia," he said.
The inauguration of DLMI@Enstek was held in conjunction with World Milk Day which falls on June 1, with this year's focus being on celebrating the goodness of dairy in providing better nutrition such as protein and calcium for the world.