Baladna Farm and Park: Cows and Politics

Background

A decades-long conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia has polarized much of the Middle East. Diplomatic competition intensified when new governments emerged in several countries as a result of the 2011 Arab uprisings. These rising political tensions have increased pressure on nations--like Qatar--that have tried to maintain positive relations with both sides. On the one hand, Qatar shares a border with Saudi Arabia and benefits from a strong trade relationship. Conversely, the country shares access to the world's largest reserve of natural gas with Iran, effectively tying their economic futures. Two other factors complicate Qatar's role. The nation houses the largest American military base in the region, and its strong ties with the United States gives Qatar less of a need to rely on regional allies. In addition, Qatar is also host to the largest media voice in the Middle East in the form of the Al Jazeera network. Some in the Middle East feel that the news network gives Qatar an oversized level of influence in shaping the region's political narrative.  

Blockade

Starting in June 2017, Saudi Arabia and its allies Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE broke diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar. The group of countries had a list of demands for Qatar that included cutting back on its diplomatic relations with Iran, closing Al Jazeerah and other media outlets, and agreeing to over a decade of regular external "audits." Until their demands were met, an air, land, and sea blockade was set up to economically isolate Qatar. The nation's government had to quickly pivot and find new flight paths and supply sources. 

The Farm

Refusing to comply with its neighbor's demands, Qatar committed to greater economic self-sufficiency. The Baladna farm is an example of that goal. The majority of Qatar's dairy products came from Saudi Arabia, so the nation invested in its own dairy industry. They took a farm that was raising sheep and goats in northern Qatar and converted it into an efficient, high-outcome producer of dairy and juice products. Relying on help from the United States and other allies, the company brought in agricultural experts and thousands of cows. Five thousand cows to be exact, flown in on jets from the U.S. The farm had to overcome both the immediate necessity to supply the Qatari dairy needs and the challenges of its inhospitable environment. 

The location of the farm is critical to its success. By placing the operation in Al Khor, thirty miles north of Doha, the farm is in an area with a considerably cooler and drier climate. While that makes the region better, it does not quite look like a traditional American dairy farm. No green fields with cows leisurely eating their fill. Instead, the white and black Holsteins are housed in cooled barns where air circulates through six times each minute. They eat hay that is flown in from overseas. According to the onsite information, these cows are taken care of by a team of nutritional experts from the U.S. and live in "simple comfort." In addition to the mature herd, there is also a breeding program that births around fifty new additions each day. The calves are raised in fenced pens under shaded covers, relieved from temperatures up to 115 degrees by misting fans, and fed from large bottles delivered by forklifts. And the milking operation is high tech, with 100 cows at a time riding around an automated, rotating milking station. There was a lot of emphasis on quality and sanitation as well. The milking devices are auto-cleaning and the cows are tracked electronically to maintain quality and detect any abnormalities. Even the trucks that arrive at the farm are sprayed down as they enter.

Our experience at the site was a curious one. We drove out of central Doha, past the suburbs and the outskirts of the city. Ever wondered if there is an IKEA in Qatar? The answer is yes. Supermarkets, strip malls, and residential areas gave way to a more barren landscape interspersed with compound-style housing. After nearly an hour, we pulled off the highway, turned into the dusty hinterland, and soon entered the gates of Baladna. Which is a farm. And a factory. And an educational center. And a family fun zone.

The property is scattered with photo ops, from signs and slogans to a collection of cow statues. We entered the Visitor's Center and were greeted with the mural of products. Apparently, Baladna produces 225 goods for sale, ranging from milk and yogurt to more regional products like laban (a fermented drink that comes in plain, strawberry, and mango flavors) and labneh (similar to cream cheese). We learned that the expansion to juice products was a natural extension of the packaging process already in place for milk. 

On the second floor of the Hall was where we received our first glimpse of the dairy operation. From behind glass we were able to observe the rotating milking platform. I have to admit being a little spellbound by the setup. The most surprising part was how easily and quickly the cows backed out of their stalls. Everything happened in a fluid motion. The cows were led in, sanitized, and hooked up. The milking apparatus would drop off when the cow was finished, and then they just went on their way. In addition to being an observation platform, the Visitor's Hall was also playing a documentary on a loop (linked below) that went into great depth about the farm's origins and operations. For me, the most surprising element was that the majority of Baladna's employees were hired from overseas. While most of the executives were Qatari, the agricultural, veterinary, and technical staff were Australian, American, British, and Irish. 

The Park

I am not sure if the amusement park was built to draw visitors to the dairy or if it was simply a way to give the visitors more to do. Walking through the gates, we discovered bumper boats, a zip line, a carousel, and even a petting zoo. One of workers handed me a bag of vegetables and sent me off to feed away. Honestly, I find petting zoos to be a little sad and a little dirty, but I also felt bad not giving the food to the animals. And that is how I found myself feeding a carrot to a zebra on a dairy farm in a Middle Eastern desert. It was so authentically Qatar.

          

We stayed for a little too long at the park, but I think it had more to do with confused curiosity than interest in the attractions. Why was there a puppet show at a dairy farm? It is safe to say that it was a popular place to visit. They turned a story of Qatar's resiliency into a tourist attraction. Six years ago, this place was a small-scale sheep and goat farm. There are now 24,000 cows on the property, and Baladan produces 400,000 liters of milk and an additional 50,000 liters of juice each day. How much is that? Too much for me to comprehend, but I do know that Qatar now has enough milk to meet the dairy demands of its consumers. 

Additional Resources:

• How Qatar's Cows Show the Growing Resistance to a Saudi-led Boycott, Steven Mufson: The Washington Post, 21 July 2019. (link)
• The Middle East's New Battle Lines, Abdullah Baabood: European Council on Foreign Relations. (link)
• Documentary, Baladna Food Industry, 2022: