Dairy Action Plan

1. Market development

The Scottish dairy sector boasts a wide range of high quality products and benefits from its position as core to Scotland's booming food and drink industry. It has the potential to grow significantly its market share at home and abroad but achieving this will require focussed and energetic market development activity. The actions already underway, and those that we will pursue are:

1.1: Developing a strong Scottish dairy brand at home and, especially, abroad:

• SG has given additional funding to the Dairy Growth Board to develop a Scottish dairy brand and range of products.
• Work has begun on the brand, to be presented at the Royal Highland Show in June, and launched for the export market at the Anuga Food Expo in Cologne in October. ( DGB)
• The brand will feature strongly in the Showcasing Scotland meet-the-buyer event with retailers, food service and overseas buyers in October. ( SDI/ SFD)

1.2: Getting more Scottish dairy products on retail shelves, in food service and in export markets

• We will engage actively with retailers on dairy products, agreeing the steps needed to encourage a viable local supply base, including wherever possible backing Scottish products in Scottish stores. Target: May ( SG/ SFD/ SRC)
• We will prioritise access to UK retail with public support for a new UK supplier development programme. Target: June ( SG/ SFD/ SRC).
• We will open discussions with food service and catering companies to ensure widespread adoption of the food charter and of best practice on labelling, in both cases starting with dairy. Target: June ( SG/ SFD)
• We will ensure that promotion campaigns give prominence to dairy, in particular supporting the Year of Food and Drink's Delicious Dairy theme in August. ( SG)
• We will promote exports, tasking the newly appointed food and drink in-market experts, especially in Japan and Canada, to prioritise dairy opportunities and helping companies maximise the overseas potential of Showcasing Scotland. Target: March/October ( SFD/ SDI)
• We will work with local authorities to increase the consumption in schools of Scottish cheese, butter, yogurt and other dairy products. Target: June( SG)