Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said yesterday that Scotland’s dairy sector stood to reap the benefits if the European Union extends “country of origin” labelling to dairy products.
At present, consumers do not have to be told where dairy items originate, which can lead to cheap foreign imports swamping the market. But the EU is sympathetic to countries such as Scotland which has high-quality dairy produce and have been calling for “origin” labelling for some time.
The issue was discussed briefly yesterday at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting hosted by the Latvian presidency of the EU.
Janis Duklavs, the Latvian minister of agriculture, who hosted the council meeting, admitted afterwards that a report on the extension of origin labelling was late, but said it would hopefully be ready for the June meeting of the Council.
Lochhead, meanwhile, has made it clear that Scotland supports the extension and believes it could help market Scottish dairy products in the EU and beyond. He has urged the EU to take forward origin labelling for dairy products and asked the UK Government to support work to make this happen.
Scotland’s dairy sector is vital to Scotland’s farming and food industry, and the wider rural economy. There are 900 dairy farms across the country, with 2,000 employees involved in processing dairy products. The sector generates more than £400 million of output, some 15 per cent of Scotland’s total farming productivity.
Last month, the Scottish Parliament heard Bruce Crawford MSP call for a “Made in Scotland” label that would not only benefit Scottish farmers and producers but also make it much easier for consumers to identify and buy Scottish produced products.
Crawford told Parliament: “We have a food and drink industry that we should be incredibly proud of and I want to help our dairy farmers capitalise on the worldwide reputation of Scottish food and drink.
“There is a strong desire from many of my constituents to be able to buy locally produced food, however with the lack of effective labelling for dairy products at the moment it can result in people buying products they think are produced in Scotland but are actually produced in other countries.
“Having a saltire on the packaging does not mean it is produced in Scotland, however a ‘Made in Scotland’ labelling system would mean consumers know exactly which products are produced locally.
“Given that there are clear advantages at all levels of the supply chain it is obvious that action is necessary to bring forward improved labelling.
“I would like to encourage as many people as possible to think Scottish when they are buying their groceries. We have some of the best quality milk, butter, cheeses and yoghurt in the world and choosing local options is a win-win for both consumers and farmers.”
At the time, National Farmers Union Scotland’s Milk Committee Chairman Graeme Kilpatrick backed Crawford’s call, saying: “Support from Scottish consumers wanting to buy Scottish dairy produce, manufactured in Scotland from Scottish milk has never been higher. The frustration for farmers and consumers is that product labelling can often make the true origin of produce difficult to establish.
Lochhead said yesterday: “Scotland has a number of world-class dairy products that truly are the cream of the crop – with a wide variety of excellent cheeses, milk, yoghurt and butter all made in our country. Our recently launched Dairy Action Plan makes clear that increasing exports can play a key part in helping the sector to a more sustainable future.
“I have no doubt that changes to EU rules to allow country of origin labelling for dairy products would boost our industry and allow them to capitalise on the provenance and reputation of our dairy sector.
“By ensuring products are clearly labelled as Scottish, as already happens with Scotch beef and lamb, our dairy industry could benefit from increased marketing and exposure in Europe and beyond.
“This could increase exports and the profitability of our industry and that’s why I am urging the EU to take forward country of origin labelling for dairy products as a matter of urgency. Scotland has a powerful brand – both at home and abroad – in its food and drink offering and the dairy sector is at the core of that.”
Source: The National
