Got milk? Algeria offers opportunities for Irish dairy firms

"Creating Opportunities for the Irish Dairy Industry in Algeria" was a joint undertaking of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - supported by Breifne O'Reilly, Ambassador of Ireland to Switzerland, Algeria and Lichtenstein - and Enterprise Ireland's Milan Office which covers both Algeria and Morocco. Participants included members of the Forum Chefs d'Entreprises (FCE), the most influential business entity in Algeria, headed by Ali Haddad, a captain of Algerian industry.

Paul Maguire

When the definitive book on Irish entrepreneurship is written a chapter will be dedicated to Alastair McGuckian. He may even be on the cover. Together with brother Paddy, he founded farming systems company Masstock in the 1970s and, in partnership with the Saudi Royal family, helped develop a modern dairy industry there. That business, Almarai, went on to become the largest vertically integrated dairy company in the world.

Could such a venture happen again? If a meeting last week of Irish dairy industry suppliers and Algerian business leaders is any indication, it just might.