Malcolm Jordan, CEO, Baladna Food Industries • Interview

Baladna Food Industries supports the achievement of Qatar’s National Food Security Program via strategic short- and long-term strategies.

How do you manage to always keep up with the demands of the population?

The Qatari population is extremely diverse; expats represent around 85% of the total population. We have to maintain a full range of products to satisfy all the different demographic groups represented in the society. We worked hard in 2019 and 2020 to build and strengthen the capabilities of our marketing team with the aim of getting closer to consumers. For example, we introduced a whole suite for consumer product testing where we work to understand what drives consumer preferences. On the other hand, we are working closer with our local and foreign corporate customers to narrow the supply chain and better understand their needs. Made in Qatar resonates strongly with all consumers in Qatar. Visionary in nature and demanding exacting standards, Baladna has proven that products made in Qatar can and do compete with the best the world can offer. Qatar has become a model for developing a food security and self-sufficiency program. Baladna has showcased how this can be done over an extremely short period of time and attracted the attention of many governments worldwide. This has been invaluable in supporting our expansion program as can be seen in the collaboration with the Malaysian government to create a JV.

How do you use technology in your production processes to increase efficiency and quality?

In our business, technology has a crucial impact on quality, productivity, and efficiency. At present, we are getting close to about 39 liters per cow per day. Due to Qatar’s harsh climate conditions, the only way to reach this level of production is through technology. For example, Dairy Comp is a technology developed by Baladna to keep the cows cool and maintain a high level of production. Baladna has and will continue to invest in the latest technologies, allowing us to drive quality and productivity improvements through the entire value chain. This begins with the breakthrough technology deployed in our farming division, allowing Baladna to deliver the highest quality and ever-increasing milk yield, in spite of the extremely challenging climate conditions. Our processing facility houses state-of-art equipment, minimizing human intervention. In addition, technology plays an ever-increasing role in our sales delivery model. The company was created by encompassing new disruptive technologies. Moving forward, we will continue to embrace technological breakthroughs where relevant and will have a positive impact on performance.

What does the association with sports institutions and events, such as 2022 FIFA World Cup, mean for Baladna?

Dairy products have always had a positive link with health and wellbeing, enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. At Baladna, it is important that there is there is a close brand association with healthy products and active living/lifestyle, helping to positively support the health of the nation. Partnering and participating with the local sports industry is one of many approaches to support a more active lifestyle. Joining forces to promote the importance of nutrition and sport.

What are your strategic priorities in the near future?

Baladna’s number-one priority remains the contribution to the Qatar food security program and satisfying the domestic market. In addition, we now look we forward to broadening the current portfolio, exploring adjacent categories and new markets. Building a high performing team, driving the fundamentals, better understand our consumers and their needs, highest quality (superior) products that delight our consumers, most cost-efficient manner ensuring our product is readily available in all stores across Qatar. As our product range extends, we have further opportunities to export a wider range of products and will continue to export products to more markets in the region and beyond. Demand for local goods is growing, which supports local businesses by buying locally sourced products. We also want to build a distinctive value proposition and generate deeper consumer insights. We want to extract value from our business by exploring opportunities in all cost areas.