Our Team

Mike van den Berg is a strategy implementor who works with CEO’s, executives and solopreneurs, to build teams that establish and develop the supply chain to and from the farmer for the Agricultural inputs and Agri processing industries.
After spending more than three decades directly involved in the strategic planning, negotiation, implementation, infrastructure development and staffing of supplier to farmer as well as farmer to Agri processor businesses, Mike understands what drives a successful business venture between suppliers, farmers and Agri processors.
He is currently the Head of Producer Services for Pearl Dairies Limited, a large dairy processor in central and eastern Africa.
Here Mike is implementing the CEO, board and shareholders strategies in new business development by engaging the services of international consultants, experts and the required input service providers to develop the necessary skills and back-up services for a team of 60 graduates and graduate professionals that are mentoring and developing the operations of farmers in the region.
The Procurement of raw milk as well as the infrastructure and Logistical services required to source the milk from farm to factory are a key function that falls under the Producer Services Division of Pearl Dairies.

Mike van den Berg

Head of Dairy Development Program

Dr. Kannathasan Pathmanathan (Dr. Kannan) is a Veterinarian and a livestock expert as part of the Pearl Dairy Farms Limited. Along with Veterinary medicine, Dr. Kannan has exposure to several associated fields like Vaccination and Disease management, Dairy Sciences, Livestock farming, establishing Milk collection network and improving the quality of milk. As the in-house Veterinary specialist, he is currently overseeing the implementation of the PDFC’s Dairy Development Program on an operational level along with the IFC team, effect team, and the Friesian. He also directly handles the operations of the Toll-free number of the PDFC that aims at supporting the farming network on varied topics and his expertise are also used effectively for their benefit through training sessions.

Dr. Kannathasan Pathmanathan

Mr. Martin de Jong is the Technical Director of Bles Dairies Consultancy/The Friesian from the Netherlands and has more than 30 years practical experiences in the design and operation of Dairy Development Program for almost all leading International Dairy companies in Africa, Asia, Far East, and Central Europe. His technical expertise is mainly related to the strategic planning of raw milk sourcing and dairy development program, milk quality, quality based milk payment scheme, youngstock management and farm economics. He gained practical experience in various African countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, and Sudan. Within the Pearl DDP, Mr. Martin de Jong prepared the strategic and operational plan on the DDP and is the technical and operational manager of the DDP field/expert team and is also engaged as an expert in the DDE training program.

Martin de Jong

Dr. Berend de Leeuw is a veterinarian and after working for five years as a private veterinarian in The Netherlands and Ireland he joined the field team of Bles Dairies/The Friesian and was engaged as an expert in the implementation of different projects and technical studies in various countries in the world. Furthermore, he had spent over 10 years as resident expert responsible for the on-the-ground implementation of milk quality and dairy development programmes in PR of China, Vietnam, Serbia, and Bosnia Herzegovina. He gained practical experience in various African countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Current, he is also involved in the implementation of the pilot project on a Ugandan raw milk Quality Based Milk Payment System (QBMPS) in which Pearl Dairy is also participating. Within the Pearl DDP, Mr. Berend de Leeuw is one of the key field expert engaged in hands-on advice to the lead farms and DDEs as well as trainer field coach for the DDEs.

Dr. Berend de Leeuw

Mr. Ruud Engelman is a senior dairy farming development expert with more than 35 years of international experience as an advisor and trainer in all aspects of small and medium-sized dairy farming. Responsible for all upstream direct fresh milk sourcing activities for 63 dairy factories in 30 countries with at total fresh milk volume of 7.5 million MT and involving >300,000 dairy farmers. At Nestle, he was as resident expert responsible for the development of the fresh milk intake in PR of China, Pakistan, and Iran. Within the Pearl DDP, Mr. Engelman is one of the key field expert engaged in hands-on advice to the lead farms and DDEs as well as trainer field coach for the DDEs.

Mr. Ruud Engelman

Remco is an experienced project manager and sustainable animal production expert, with a career in veterinary practice, the pharmaceutical industry, research of infectious diseases, and animal health and livestock development projects. He has more than 32 years of professional experience, of which more than 12 years in animal product development projects (since 2006). He currently heads VetEffecT Veterinary & Public Health, a consultancy company implementing technical assistance and capacity building projects in sustainable animal production, veterinary and public health, animal health and welfare, food safety and dairy development. Remco coordinates the overall timing and inputs on-field activities, project deliverables, tools and reporting on project outputs.