Churning of the Sea of Milk is the most famous bas-relief at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. It depicts an episode from the Vishnu mythology. The gods, because of a curse from the sage Durvasa, begin to lose their immortality. Assisted by their mortal enemies the asuras, they churn the ocean (which was made of milk in those days) and create amrita, the nectar of immortality. Seizing the nectar as it is formed, the gods are victorious, and thus immortal (photo credit: Travotos’ Flickr photostream).

Fast Company reports that Cambodia’s current supply of fresh milk is entirely imported, but that is about to change with the introduction of New Zealand’s Holstein cows.

Tea and coffee are typically drunk in Cambodia with imported sweetened condensed milk (photo credit: Petahopkins’ Flickr photostream).

‘Cambodia is set to get its first commercial cow farm this year with construction on a 247-acre farm breaking ground this month.

‘Cambodia’s current supply of fresh milk is 100% imported and the cow farm is meant to change that—and as Cambodia is still largely agricultural, it’s surprising that commercial cow farms don’t already exist.

‘. . . Cambodia is taking a leap in agricultural innovations this year and the farm that’s set to open is a joint venture between the Cambodian 7NG Group and Sweden’s HPT Dairy Company. They entered into a $250 million deal whereby the highly productive Holstein cow breed will be imported from New Zealand with a goal of producing about 317,000 gallons of milk in the first year of operation. The farm is set to begin operating in November of 2011. . . .’

Read the whole article in Fast Company: Cambodia gets first commercial cow farm, 10 January 2011.