Organic milk demand ‘booming’

Demand for organic milk is booming and will absorb an extra 70-90 million litres produced in the UK next year, according to the Scottish Organic Milk Producers Association.

Speaking at a Scottish Agricultural College conference in Dunkeld, SOMPA’s Stuart Martin said the organic sector’s power lay in co-operation.

Expansion of organic milk production could be carefully managed and avoid a “boom or bust” scenario, he said.

Untapped demand

The UK is currently under-supplied with organic milk and importing from Denmark, Belgium and Holland, although domestic production of 375m litres was likely to increase by about 70m litres next year, Mr Martin said.

There was still huge untapped demand for organic milk, he added.

“There are so many markets still to be discovered – such as the public sector, middle sector and schools.

Short of supplies

“We also have companies on the phone every day looking for organic milk as a food ingredient for brand extensions.

“We just can’t supply them because we don’t have the milk,” Mr Martin said.

But some producers were hesitating to convert as feed costs soared and organic standards tightened, he added.