The British public are shunning away from foreign made cheese and sticking with home-grown British cheese, according to figures from AHDB.
With a quarter of all milk produced in the UK processed into cheese, the household staple is an important product both for shoppers and for dairy farmers.
While cheese exports are up and imports are down there are positive signs at last emerging for the dairy sector.
But despite this, the value of cheese has declined and prices remain far below sustainable levels on farm.
At the start of the International Cheese Show in Nantwich, Cheshire, national NFU dairy board chairman Michael Oakes said now is a good time to thank people for choosing British cheese and the positive impact they are having.
And to send a clear message to the supply chain – a fair price is needed for dairy farmers.
'A positive story' tell the public
"We have such a positive story to tell," said Mr Oakes.
"Figures for May 2016 show that UK imports of Cheddar were down 39 per cent on the same month last year while exports of cheese were six per cent higher this May compared to 2015.
"Meanwhile, retail cheese sales for the year ending May 2016 grew 4.7 per cent.
"The great news is more people than ever before are eating British cheese.
"With most branded cheddar sold on promotion in the UK consumers are getting good value on a highly nutritional product.
"And we have seen dairy commodity prices strengthening in recent weeks.
"The next step must be for the value of cheese to increase through the supply chain and for a fair share of that money to be passed back to farm as quickly as possible.
"While in-store promotions are good news for the shopper, as a dairy farmer I have concerns.
"The aim of these promotions is to sell more volume rather than diminish value. My question is who is paying for such promotions?"
What can you do to back British dairy farmers?
Keep buying more British dairy products, especially by choosing British cheeses, yoghurts and butter.
If you don't see these British products clearly on the shelves then ask for them.
Be informed and speak to a shop manager if you are unsure about the products you are buying.
The same is true for food services.
When dining out in restaurants or cafes keep an eye open for British food on the menu and don't hesitate to ask your favourite eateries to support British dairy farmers by serving fresh, delicious British products.
Key cheese facts
• In May 2016 UK imports of Cheddar totalled 7,355 tonnes, down 39% on the same month last year (= down 4,771 tonnes)
• In the same period, specialty cheese imports were 3% down on May 2015 (= down 1,007 tonnes)
• At the same time UK cheese exports were 6% higher this May than last May at 13,084 tonnes.
