TİKA Established a Dairy Products Processing Facility in Colombia

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established a dairy products processing facility in the city of Armenia with the cooperation of Quindio Governorship and the Quindio Association of Cheesemakers.

The aim of establishing a dairy products processing facility in Quindio, Colombia is to encourage milk production, help the disadvantaged communities get a job and ensure a sustainable income.  

In line with this target, mentally disabled young people received professional trainings within Quindio Foundation of Comprehensive Care. The ultimate goal is to support their employment and integration with the society.

The facility will firstly focus on the production of overripe cheese and then move on to produce dairy products such as yoghurt, kephir and butter.

Roberto Jairo Jaramillo, the Governor of Quindio gave a speech at the opening ceremony and extended his thanks to TİKA: “As the Governor of Quindio, I would like to thank the Republic of Türkiye and TİKA for their support to our efforts to revive our economy and strengthen our agricultural processes. This is the 6^th project that has been carried out in Quindio so far. In relation to social responsibility, it is of vital importance for us that disabled people in our region receive professional training.”

Julio César Cortés, Quindio Agriculture, Development and Environment Secretary, too, gave a speech at the ceremony and said: “The facility established in Quindio will make a significant contribution to the commercial efforts of milk producers in our region. After Covid 19 in 2021, a nationwide strike was organized in Colombia, which made it impossible to process the milk produced here. Therefore, many producers had to give up milk production. With this facility, however, the milk produced in Quindio will be processed in Quindio. In this way, both milk producers and disadvantaged people who will be employed in the facility will have regular income”.

The first series of cheese labelled with TİKA logo has already been released into the market.