Manara Dairy builds plant
adds butter and new cheeses

Total investment of $7 million

Manara Dairy inaugurated last Saturday a new plant with an investment of $7 million to increase its production capacity by 50 percent in order to meet growing demand from abroad, introduce new dairy products, and improve food safety conditions, said co-owner Said Abou Ghneim.

The new factory, which replaces the old one, is located in Manara in Western Bekaa (seven kilometers from the Syrian border). It has a built-up area of 10,000 square meters and a production capacity of 50 tons per day.

“The new production capacity will allow us to meet growing demand from our export markets in the Gulf region and Africa. There is little potential for expansion on the local market due to weak purchasing power especially that our cost is higher than that of our competitors because we only use fresh milk and natural ingredients without any chemical additives or preservatives,” Abou Ghneim said.

In addition to the existing product line that consists of different kinds of dairy products, the new plant will produce mozzarella and kashkaval cheese as well as butter. The company also plans to introduce aged cheese.

“The new factory, which uses advanced technology, allows us to cope with international safety standards,” Abou Ghneim said.

Founded in 1959, Manara Dairy is a family business currently managed by the third generation of the Abou Ghneim family. It generates 40 percent of its electricity needs from its own solar and wind power systems.

The company also has a wastewater treatment facility and a solid waste sorting facility. It uses the treated water for the irrigation of its orchard of 4,000 of fruit trees.