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Dairy summit
29/04/2009
The Scottish Government's planned dairy summit will take place next month to help build confidence in the industry.
The summit, announced several weeks ago by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Richard Lochhead, will be held at the Scottish Parliament on May 27. All parts of the dairy supply chain including producers, processors, dairy co-operatives and representatives from the retail sector will be invited.
Chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead, the summit will provide a forum for discussion of a number of issues of common concern.
Details of the summit were announced by Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham during a Dairy UK reception at the Scottish Parliament.
Ms Cunningham said:
"Dairy producers have been under increasing pressure over recent months as the price of their product has declined at the farm gate.
"As everyone knows we have indicated that we plan to hold a dairy summit and I am please to be able to state that this will take place on May 27.
"Discussions have been on-going for some time with various parts of the supply chain on our wish to convene a dairy summit. We will now be formally inviting the various players to take part and we are hopeful of good attendance across the sector.
"Scotland's dairy producers play an important role in maintaining the rural landscape and, crucially, contribute £303 million - some 13 per cent - of this country's gross agricultural output.
"While the sector is playing its part in growing Scotland's food and drink industry, many producers are uncertain about their future and face two major concerns - labelling and prices.
"We are pursuing labelling issues through the Food Standards Agency and actively engaging with supermarkets to find out more about their supply chains and the impact they have on prices. There are good news stories to tell about relationships between suppliers and retailers but we believe that a supermarket ombudsman would benefit both consumers and the dairy industry and this is something we will continue to press for.
"All parts of the supply chain must receive a fair return for their efforts and the dairy summit will help ensure they can enjoy long-term viability."
The Dairy UK reception at Holyrood was part of the organisation's Proud of Dairy campaign which aims to promote confidence in the sector.