ROLAND SOSSNA, Editor International Dairy Magazine: Good news for the industry. The EU export business is set grow significantly

According to the recent OECD/EAO Agricultural Outlook, the share of commodities in EU dairy exports will grow from 24% in 2016 to 28% in 2026. Total EU dairy exports are to increase by 37% in that period. Cheese exports alone will be up by 26% to almost one million tons and 8MP exports will grow by 60% to 910,000 tons — making Europe the dominant supplier of these two categories to the world market.

This looks like good news to the industry. Owners, managers and farmers can be assured that their investment in processing capacities over the past few years was justified and an overall good decision. Of course, the past investment may not be enough to be able to utilise increasing milk production to make Sl\/IP or cheese in sufficient quantity just to match the Outlook’s estimate. In the period between 2016 and 2026, OECD/EAO think it to be likely that the EU milk pool will grow by 8% to almost 176 million tons which is about 13 million tons more than processors have available today.

However, there are some political trends towards reducing export possibilities especially of the EU dairy and cheese industry. Even conservative politicians, not just the Greens and the socialists, say that dairy exports counteract initiatives in developing countries to build an own milk production by Flooding local markets with cheap/subsidised products. In the run-up to the Federal elections in Germany, long—time Chancellor Merkel stressed that one would have to take a close look in future as to where German dairy products end up as the might be possibly impeding local development.

So, the myth that farm produce in areas, where conditions for agriculture and milk production are favourable by chance, disturb worldwide farming has reached top level decision makers. It is quite sad by the way that this kind of politicians is babbling awa y things that are just wrong. Take India as example: OECD/EAO estimate a 50% growth of milk production there to about 228 million tons until 2026. On the other hand, Africa’s milk production, due to the climate, will never be able to meet the ever growing demand. lf EU products could not reach this market any more one day, malnutrition especially of toddlers and children would be the effect.

Given worldwide growth of population, to be a dairy farmer or a worker in the dairy industry is one of the most sustainable professions around, despite all the political drivel.

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