Originally named Laitière de Mauritanie, the dairy started operating in April 1989, with the aim of bridging the gap between good fresh milk available in the countryside and Nouakchotts milk-loving consumers, who only had imported UHT or dried milk and small amounts of raw milk. Laitière de Mauritanie was the first dairy in West Africa to collect raw milk from herders, with a twist: they were all more or less nomadic. The first product was Tiviski, fresh pasteurised camel milk in a carton, the first in Africa and almost in the world. Many other firsts followed: El Badia fresh pasteurised cow milk, L'Oasis cultured cream, and a whole range of world-class dairy products, right up to UHT cow milk in 2002 with a Candia franchise. Caravane camel cheese is still the only one in the world. Over the years, the mini-dairy – renamed Tiviski – has grown considerably. When demand outgrew the milk supply close to Nouakchott, two collecting centres were set up near pasture in Rosso and Boghé: that is where camel, cow and goat milk collected from hundreds of pastoralists within a 90 km radius is delivered, checked, weighed and chilled, and then carried to Nouakchott in insulated tanker trucks.