Damascus-SANA
The Arab Company for Dairy Industry in Damascus (Damascus Dairy) achieved profits of 400 million pounds since the beginning of the year until last month, despite the old machinery and the severe shortage of labor, in addition to the weak supply of raw milk.
The company was able to achieve this profit, according to its general manager, Hamza Mohsen, by taking off all departments, investing in the cold store after it was equipped, and operating all canned lines of ghee, butter, cheese, labneh and milk to meet the needs of the public sector entities associated with contracts with the company.
In a statement to SANA’s representative, Mohsen explained that the company is working to invest in machinery, equipment and production lines despite their old age, with periodic maintenance being carried out and the provision of spare parts from the local market or their manufacture, as they belong to a European source and it is not possible to supply parts to them due to the unjust siege imposed on Syria.
Mohsen pointed out to the difficulties that the company is currently experiencing, including the weak supply of the necessary quantities of raw milk, whether from the public sector from the Ghouta cowshed or from the private sector. Quantities have decreased significantly by between 40 and 50 percent from the agreed quantities due to the high prices of feed for livestock, in addition Some of the quantities supplied do not match the specifications, so they are rejected, and therefore the quantities received decline, which made the company reduce the quantities manufactured to it to about 5 to 6 tons per day, even though it has the ability to manufacture 12 tons of raw milk.
Mohsen pointed out that the company's owners are 222 workers, of whom only 85 are on the job, noting that many of them are close to retirement age.
Mohsen revealed that the company is currently working on activating the milk collection center in Nabea al-Sakhr in the Quneitra governorate and transforming it into a mini-production center affiliated with the company, while making every effort to increase the quantities of milk supplied to it in order to meet the quantities contracted with the Appointments Department and then move to the expansion and marketing of its products, whether through Syrian halls for trade and the military social establishment, contracting with other public sector bodies, and opening new halls to display and sell their products.
Ahmed Souliman