Failure to reach an agreement on global trade has upset dairy
industry officials from the EU and beyond, creating more
uncertainty about the future of the sector.
Chinese dairies need to invest more in R&D to capitalise on
future growth in added value products like milk drinks, cheese and
yoghurts, advises a new report from consultants McKinsey.
Fonterra, the world's biggest exporter of dairy products, said
today that it has gained approval from the Chinese government for
its purchase of a 43 per cent stake in dairy company San Lu.
Delta Instruments has launched new state-of-the-art dairy analysis
equipment designed to enable processors to make more money out of
milk and milk derivatives.
Calcium does not make consumers put on weight, finds a recent
survey of 19,000 men, as a report in the UK warns many people are
confused about the health benefits of milk.
China is luring more and more of the world's dairy firms through a
strong growth in domestic demand, says a new report, indicating
European companies have some ground to catch up.
Finnish dairy company, Valio is working with Russian company
Galaktika to build a new dairy facility in Russia to meet growing
consumption of dairy products.
Fonterra, New Zealand's largest dairy co-operative, has formed a
research partnership with the US dairy industry, in an
international approach to promoting and proving health claims for
dairy products.
Two of the world's largest dairy firms, New Zealand's Fonterra and
Europe's Arla, are looking to increase their operations in the
Polish dairy industry, according to a recent report.
Young women can burn more calories from meals if they eat three or
four servings of dairy per day, suggests a new study in another
twist to the dairy weight loss debate.
A dairy research body in Australia will get $300,000 of government
money to examine bioactive material in milk that could be used to
develop novel functional foods.
Dutch dairy co-operative Campina has got clearance from Russian
authorities to expand its dairy drinks production in Moscow as
demand for fresh dairy soars.
US dairy processors will probably not to have to pay much more for
their milk if global liberalization of the sector occurs, according
to a study by the US department of agriculture (USDA).
Britain's Office of Fair Trading is losing support among dairy
industry officials, who claim the agency does not understand the
sector and has been far too heavy-handed.
Dairy Crest saw its profits slashed by half in its first six months
of this year, capping a difficult week for the British dairy
industry and underlining the pressing need for more strategies to
raise earnings.
A three-day strike by Britain's dairy farmers, who are withholding
milk supplies in protest at low farmgate prices, has been
criticised by the National Farmers' Union for jeopardising industry
relations.
The UK branch of dairy processor and ingredients supplier Arla
Foods told investors yesterday that it is still on track to reach
revised profit targets for the year, boosted by its brands
performing well.
Uncertainty hangs over the UK dairy industry as Dairy Crest says
recent gains will not be enough to stop profits slipping, and rival
Wiseman warns rising costs will be hard to recover.
The UK dairy industry is losing ground to other European countries
in crucial added value markets, jeopardising future prosperity
because it has failed to innovate at a fast enough rate, says a new
report.
A new clinical study has re-ignited the fiery debate over dairy
intake and weight loss, claiming obese adults can eat four servings
of dairy every day and still lose as many pounds as those with a
low-dairy intake.
A worst case scenario for UK milk production is more likely as more
producers leave the market than previously thought, presenting
potential supply problems that could raise costs across the
industry, reports Chris Mercer.
Emerging dairy markets in Eastern Europe have shown dynamic growth
thanks to innovation drives and the development of retail networks,
providing big opportunities for value-added products, writes
Chris Mercer.
First Milk, one of the UK's largest farmer-owned dairy
co-operatives, has been given permission from the Office of Fair
Trading to buy a stake in Robert Wiseman Dairies - another positive
step for UK farmers, giving them more...
The Milk Development Council (MDC), the government-appointed
marketing body for the UK milk industry, has issued advice to
farmers on recruiting labour from EU-accession member states - as
the number of people wanting to work in the...
Danone, France's leading food manufacturer, is to double its stake
in China's Bright Dairy and Food to just under 10 per cent, a move
expected to herald a ramping up of Danone's investments in one of
the world's...
China has reportedly poured nearly US$50 million into research and
development (R&D) for its domestic dairy sector over the past
three years in an attempt to tackle some of the obstacles holding
back one of the world's most...
Azerbaijan's largest dairy company is set to double its production
capacity after securing outside funding worth nearly €4.4 million
to help the firm hold off competition from imports and safeguard
domestic farmers' incomes,...
Dairy Australia, the Australian dairy industry association, has
hailed innovative dairy categories for driving domestic growth, but
warns that the performance of traditional dairy categories is still
weak, hampered by declining demand...
Germany's two largest dairies have terminated an agreement to
merge. Nordmilch, Germany's leading dairy co-operative, and Humana
Milchunion were set to merge in January 2005, but since have cited
"timing" and "restructuring...
An increasing number of dairy farmers are turning towards tailored
technology-based solutions to help improve their farming techniques
and productivity levels, as Tom Armitage reports.
The Milk Development Council (MDC), the government-appointed
marketing body for the milk industry, claims that confidence among
British dairy farmers is on the increase, following months of
unrest and speculation over the stability...
A new scientific test has been developed which aims to give dairy
producers foresight into the productivity potential of their herds.
The application claims to have no negative effects on fertility
rates and will eliminate the lengthy...
Revenues from Czech dairy exports might have increased by 30 per
cent in the first six months of the year, but the Czech Dairy
Association says it is increasing dairy prices, not higher volumes
due to accession, that is boosting the...
Russia has become a lucrative market for dairy product exporters in
recent years, in particular those based in eastern Europe. But the
threat of punitive import duties from the Russians, concerned about
the future of their own dairy...
Last year's drought conditions had most Australian dairy producers
fearing the worst for 2004, but a new report suggests that the
situation for all four main dairy product categories - yoghurt,
cheese, drinking milk and dairy...
Poland's dairy producers are struggling to come to terms with the
retraction of all export licences to Russia, a key market for
yoghurt and other refined dairy products.
Dairy Farmers of Britain's £75 million acquisition of Associated
Co-operative Creameries means further consolidation within the UK's
tough dairy sector, writes Anthony Fletcher.
More than 50 different measures designed to boost the French dairy
industry will be introduced over the next few years - among them
action to increase the pace of innovation and brand development.
The accession of ten countries to the EU on May 1 means that export
quotas, customs levies and export subsidies will be lifted between
existing and new member states. Will this open up opportunities for
the dairy sector in the east,...
Wimm-Bill-Dann (WBD), the leading dairy and fruit juice producer in
Russia, has announced the completion of its latest stage of its
production and moderisation program at Baltic dairy factory OJSC.
The group, which has been investing...
French dairy giant Yoplait and its Israeli partner Tnuva are said
to be in advanced negotiations to establish a dairy venture in
Romania, according to reports.
UK milk suppliers are awaiting confirmation from the Rural Payments
Agency to see if they have exceeded the set quota for milk
production. Earlier in the year, industry bodies calculated that
production levels were exceeding the year...
Nurses in the UK are calling for an educational campaign outlining
the health risks of dairy foods. Researchers from Imperial College
London believe that in an attempt to increase yield, farmers are
artificially increasing a growth...
Latvian dairy producer Rigas Piensaimnieks has made an interesting
side-step into the world of multifunctional manufacturing in an
effort to increase its market share and maintain future growth.
Sauces and condiments will now become...
There has been an increase in health conscious consumers in recent
times and as a result products that make health claims (functional
foods) have been driving the dairy sector's growth. However, a new
study has suggested that...
The Bulgarian government has confirmed that it is establishing a
National Milk Board to help consolidate, grow and administer this
important sector of the country's food industry.
In recent years the Russian dairy sector has undergone tremendous
upheaval, with the consolidation of old dairy plants changing the
face of the industry. We spoke to the Russian National Dairy
Institute to find out what impact these...
The Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture has revealed that dairy
exports to the EU tripled in 2003 and that in the light of further
demand from the EU overall dairy production is set to increase by
50 per cent for 2004.
Danone has announced plans to increase the production capacity of
two of its Russia-based dairies. The move has been influenced by
the company's increased Russian profits caused by the growth of the
Russian sector which is expanding...
