Top quality Northern Ireland milk is flowing to all corners of the world thanks to an energetic export programme and its recognition of being rated among the best dairy produce available globally.
With an abundance of foreign buyers having visited Northern Ireland to see the superior produce and dairy farms first-hand it is no surprise to the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland that export sales are exceeding initial targets.
The Dairy Council for Northern Ireland is celebrating this year’s World Milk Day on June 1 by raising a glass to the success of its world export programme and the dedication of local dairy farmers.
Dr Mike Johnston MBE, chief executive of the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland, said: “Milk from Northern Ireland dairy herds is widely recognised as being among the best in the world in terms of quality.
“This World Milk Day we want to celebrate the commitment of our local dairy farmers, whose high quality and nutritious milk is in demand both with families at home and further afield.
“Dairy farming in Northern Ireland continues to be at the forefront of technology and innovation, but this is no substitute for the knowledge, handed down from generation to generation, of how to work with nature to produce high quality milk.
“Often working in physically demanding and challenging conditions, it is important that we acknowledge their dedication to providing the best possible product for consumers at home and across the world.”
International buyers
The programme, which is 50 per cent funded by the EU, was launched in 2015 to support Northern Ireland dairy sales across South East Asia and Middle East.
A key element of the programme is bringing international buyers to Northern Ireland to see first-hand the dairy supply chain, and over the first two years of the programme a total of 44 buyers from nine countries have visited.
Sales for year two of the export programme amounted to £3,800,860 with the figure being comprised of £1,650,460 of business generated in year one and new sales amounting to £2,150,400 generated in year two.
Combined with the first year, total sales to date for the three year programme are £6,750,860 against a target of £2.3m for the entire programme, representing a return on the Dairy Council’s investment of 32:1.
'New customers'
Dr Johnston added: “This programme is about helping Northern Ireland dairy companies to identify new customers in the target regions and to do business with them.
“Year two again exceeded all expectations and that it did so in the midst of very difficult trading conditions is particularly commendable. With a year to run in the current programme the sales secured represent a tremendous achievement.
“The figures are almost treble the three year target of £2.3m for the programme, which, in itself represented a return on investment of 4:1.
“The level of sales generated so far represents a return on the year one and year two budgets of 16:1 on the total investment and of course of 32:1 on DCNI investment.”
Building long-term and sustainable relationships in the new world order has taken on a greater significance than that recognised when the programme began and so the importance of developing trading channels between Northern Ireland and markets overseas has become even more important.
Dr Johnston said: “This programme has allowed Northern Ireland dairy companies to get build understanding of the professionalism and efficiency of Northern Ireland’s dairy industry; in turn the understanding built has been converted into sales,” he said.
