Why is there is less number of cattle
In UAE
Answers
Seeing thousands of cows grazing in the desert is an unusual sight, but the herd at Al Ain Dairy is thriving. Demand for local milk is growing and there are plans to double in size. But keeping cows in this harsh, hot environment poses many challenges, Mitya Underwood reports
In the middle of the stark Al Ain desert, surrounded by golden dunes, stand thousands of black and white Holstein-Friesian cows waiting to be led into the farm's cool milking halls.
Occasionally, one will meander under electronic sensors, triggering a blast of misty water that squirts on to the cow. Others munch contentedly on alfalfa, while the rest are happy doing little more than sleeping in the sunshine.
It's an odd sight to say the least, with animals looking as out of place as a camel in a lush, green English field. But as a dairy farm in the desert, it seems to be working.
The 6,000-strong herd, owned by Al Ain Dairy, which was set up in 1981, produces more than 200,000 litres of milk every year, with demand growing.
Legend has it that the late Shekh Zayed, the founding President, was sitting in Al Ain when he spotted milk delivery lorries travelling through the city from Saudi Arabia.