Call for UK to milk global market with extra cheese

THE dairy industry has been urged to produce more British cheeses to export to the rest of the world.

Ahead of the launch of World Milk Day today, agriculture and food minister Jim Paice has said that the industry needs more support to invest in processing milk so the UK can become a net exporter of all dairy products.

The UK currently imports around 2.3 billion worth of dairy products including milk, cream and yoghurt, and only exports goods worth 900 million.

However, there are 700 distinct British cheeses – compared with 400 traditional French cheeses – with 15 dairy products made in particular areas using a traditional method.

These are protected from imitations under EU Protected Food Names status and ministers are keen to boost the export of UK produce.

Mr Paice said: "We produce milk at highly competitive prices, but the gap between liquid milk and milk for processing is too wide.

"Our industry is already making some impressive investments to diversify into making higher quality dairy products, which will help to address this. We now need to help the dairy industry invest in processing, so that we can become a net exporter of all dairy products and send Britain's iconic cheeses and other dairy products to the world."

The minister added that the UK currently imported a "significant" quantity of quality cheeses and other dairy products from other countries which could be produced "just as effectively here".