Rural Payments and Services

Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Food Richard Lochhead has urged retailers to do more to stock and promote Scotland's exceptional dairy products.

At a Scottish Retail Consortium reception, Mr Lochhead called for more support for Scottish producers during the Year of Food and Drink.

It comes after Mr Lochhead met NFUS and other dairy industry representatives to discuss the current situation with the sector which has seen further reductions in the price of milk, and First Milk defer payments to farmers.

Mr Lochhead said:

"Scotland produces some of the best quality dairy products in the world and we all must do what we can to support our hard-working dairy farmers and processors.

"It was extremely helpful to meet the NFUS and other dairy industry representatives earlier to find out first-hand the wider impact on the sector of the current volatility in the dairy market.

"We were in agreement that the medium and long-term prospects for Scottish dairy remain positive with predictions of a rise in global demand in future. I hope to meet First Milk shortly for further discussions about the current situation they are facing and their future plans.

"The Scottish Government and our agencies are doing all we can to support our dairy companies, such as First Milk, to respond to current volatility, develop their businesses and to take advantage of new market opportunities here in Scotland and beyond.

"A key part of that is seeing an increase in Scottish dairy products such as cheese, butter and yoghurt on supermarket shelves in Scotland and across the UK. I therefore urge retailers in our Year of Food and Drink to get behind Scottish producers, and also to make clear to consumers how much of the dairy they are buying comes from Scotland or elsewhere."