Another player might soon enter the WA dairy industry, thanks to a grant to a local camel milk company.
The State government has awarded Good Earth Dairy, a WA-owned camel milk business, a $4.4m to establish a purpose-built facility aiming to increase production.
The $20m facility is expected to be completed by 2026 and will see a production capacity of 60 kilolitres of camel milk, or 21.9m litres per year.
The grant includes increasing farm capacity and primary production and is expected to create more than 90 new jobs.
Good Earth Dairy hopes to develop new products, such as ice cream and cheese, for international distribution and aims to enter the infant formula market.
Camel milk is free of the common allergens found in cow's milk, offering another option for infants, children and adults who find dairy hard to digest.
It has a high nutritional value and is being touted for its gastrointestinal health benefits, as it is high in probiotics.
Good Earth Dairy operates on 800 hectares at Dandaragan and is home to 160 camels, with another 200 on the way.
The established business was launched in 2016 and supplies to a range of independent stores in WA.
It received support from former WA Agriculture Minister, the late Kim Chance, who helped establish the camel dairy.
Good Earth Dairy is expected to sell its first public shares on the Australian Stock Exchange half way through 2024.
Founder and chief executive officer Marcel Steingiesser said WA was in a position to be a global leader in camel milk production.
"If we were to rely on breeding, we would be very limited but we have access to a huge supply of camels in outback WA," Mr Steingiesser said.
"We have the livestock, the technology, the climate and the opportunity - now we have the backing to take everything to the next level and begin growing on an international scale."
The premium milk, known as 'white gold' retails for about $13-20 per litre as national and international markets are in their infancy.
"We've spent seven years and $9m developing internal protocol for camel domestication, husbandry, farm design and processing with a focus on maximising yield, with the aim of becoming the lowest cost producer of camel milk globally," Mr Steingiesser said.
"As we bring the cost of camel milk lower and lower, we stand a good chance of being able to compete with the $840 billion dairy market."
Expressions of interest for Good Earth Dairy's equity crowdfunding campaign is underway via OnMarket and investments are open to anyone, including internationally, aged over 18 years.
Perri Polson
Perri is an agriculture journalist with Farm Weekly. Born in regional Victoria, Perri developed a love of regional and rural news at a young age, and is now passionate about advocating for the agricultural industry. Her interests include science, agronomy, livestock and food production.
Perri is an agriculture journalist with Farm Weekly. Born in regional Victoria, Perri developed a love of regional and rural news at a young age, and is now passionate about advocating for the agricultural industry. Her interests include science, agronomy, livestock and food production.
