Burkina Faso launches state-owned dairy company to boost local milk industry

BURKINA FASO – Burkina Faso’s newly launched state-owned company, Faso Kosam, is set to revolutionize the country’s dairy industry by leveraging its specific properties to process and market locally produced milk.

Launched on March 27 in Ouagadougou by Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachimson Kyelem de Tambela, the company is designed to bolster food security and reduce reliance on costly dairy imports.

According to reports, Faso Kosam, meaning “Burkina Milk” in the Mooré language, operates with a clear mission to collect milk from rural producers and transform it into a variety of products. 

The company’s initial facility, located in the Cissin neighborhood of Ouagadougou, boasts a processing capacity of 500 liters of milk per day. 

This plant is the first in a planned network of units aimed at tapping into the nation’s significant yet underutilized milk production. 

The company’s offerings include fresh milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, and powdered milk, all derived from local sources.

According to government statements, Faso Kosam is equipped with modern processing technology to ensure high-quality output. 

The Cissin facility serves as a model, with plans to expand to other strategic dairy regions like Fada N’Gourma, which will process 3,000 liters daily, and Bobo-Dioulasso, targeting 300 liters per day. 

These properties are tailored to address the challenge that only 2% of Burkina Faso’s national milk production is currently processed, leaving much of it wasted due to inadequate infrastructure.

The Prime Minister underscored the company’s potential during the launch. 

“Our goal is to harness the milk our farmers produce and turn it into products every Burkinabe can enjoy,” he said. 

Faso Kosam’s properties also include a distribution network designed to reach both urban and rural markets, supported by a 100-million-FCFA capital investment fully owned by the state. 

This financial backing aims to enhance the company’s ability to train farmers and provide equipment, improving milk quality at the source.

A local producer, Aissata Sawadogo, praised the initiative. “With Faso Kosam, we can sell our milk without losing it, and that means more money for us,” she said. 

A report by the Ministry of Agriculture highlights that Burkina Faso spends approximately $50 million annually on dairy imports, a figure Faso Kosam seeks to cut by scaling up local production.