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Sharjah dairy farm turns 24 tonnes of organic waste into compost daily
By returning valuable nutrients to the soil, the farm is putting circular economy principles into practice while improving resource efficiency and supporting soil health
- PUBLISHED: Thu 24 Sept 2026, 2:11 PM
Sharjah is using new technology to process up to 24 tonnes of organic waste each day, turning it into compost that can be reused across its agricultural fields.
Meliha Dairy Farm has adopted HotRot, a specialised composting system developed in New Zealand, as part of its efforts to reduce waste and build a more sustainable model for dairy production.
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The fully enclosed, in-vessel facility transforms organic waste into nutrient-rich compost and fertile soil in about 14 days. The system also helps reduce odours, pests and liquid runoff associated with agricultural waste.
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Developed in collaboration with CHS, the initiative connects dairy production with waste recovery and sustainable farming. By returning valuable nutrients to the soil, the farm is putting circular economy principles into practice while improving resource efficiency and supporting soil health.
New Zealand’s Ambassador to the UAE, Dr Richard Kay, visited the farm with a delegation to learn about the technology and explore its wider sustainability operations.
The delegation toured the facilities and was briefed on cattle-rearing practices, organic milk production and the farm’s daily operations.
They were received by Dr Eng Khalifa Musabeh Al Teneiji, Chairman of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and Chief Executive Officer of Ektifa, along with several Ektifa project directors.
The visit also highlighted opportunities for greater cooperation and knowledge exchange between the UAE and New Zealand in dairy production, agricultural innovation, waste management and sustainable resource use.
Meliha Dairy Farm has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest farm for A2A2 cows. It is a Sharjah food security project in the emirate’s Mleiha region. The farm began operations in April 2024 and is described by Sharjah’s Department of Agriculture and Livestock as the first in the Middle East to produce fully organic milk.
It is managed by Ektifa, the Sharjah government-owned agricultural and livestock production company.
The farm and its 20,000-square-metre dairy factory form an integrated operation covering animal care, milking, processing and packaging.
By December 2025, the site housed more than 6,400 A2A2 cows and had been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest A2A2 cattle farm. Its milking system can handle 500 cows an hour and produce about 100,000 litres of milk a day.
Meliha Milk is the farm’s consumer dairy brand. Its products are made from organic milk produced by cows that naturally carry the A2A2 beta-casein protein.
The range began with fresh milk and has expanded to include laban, yoghurt , flavoured milk, and cheese, with wider GCC distribution planned following its rollout across the UAE.
Ruqayya Alqaydi is an associate editor with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.