FDBusiness.com

A clear opportunity exists for the Scottish dairy industry to tap into valuable export markets according to an interim report presented to the Scottish dairy strategy working group. The paper, prepared for the group by Scottish Development International – Scottish Enterprise’s international arm – and Scotland Food & Drink, states that there is a growing world dairy market for dairy products, with good provenance, of the type that Scotland can produce.

Branding, market research and investment are required but opportunities for Scottish dairy produce exist in niche, value added and premium markets. The report cites the export success of the Irish Dairy Board as a model that merits further examination.

It concludes that investing in the development of value added products and markets will play an important part in revenue generation; building value into the Scottish dairy supply chain, increasing milk producers’ confidence in the industry and reducing milk processors’ current reliance on domestic giant retailers.

Further work on the interim report will now be undertaken before final publication. The group – which includes representatives from the Scottish Government, Scottish Development International (SDI), Scotland Food & Drink, Dairy UK and NFU Scotland – will then share the report with the Scottish dairy supply chain. The vision is to create a strong Scottish brand for milk and dairy products that makes inroads into the European and global dairy market.