UK ORGANIC MILK SALES STILL GROWING SAY FARMERS

This press release was posted on : 12th March 2002

The market for organic milk in the UK is still growing said Britains largest farmers co-operative today. Speaking at a Soil Association conference (12th March), David Whiting, Marketing Director of farmers co-operative OMSCo, revealed that more organic dairy products were being bought by British consumers than ever before, with sales of UK organic milk growing 16% in 2001 (TNS). This was despite many supermarkets importing some organic cheese, butter and yoghurt.

These figures show that British consumers are becoming increasingly interested in quality organic milk and dairy products, and our marketing campaign highlighting the benefits of organic milk will help boost that interest.

OMSCo  whose 350 farmer members produce over 70% of the UKs organic milk  launched a marketing campaign to boost sales in the Autumn. The campaign has won celebrity chef endorsement, including the BBCs Antony Worrall Thomson. Last month it courted controversy by giving ancient fertility symbol the Cerne Abbas Giant a large glass of organic milk to highlight concerns about pesticide traces and male fertility. OMSCo point out that organic milk is produced without GM cattle feed, without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilisers, and without the routine use of antibiotics.

Milk is good for you, but organic milk is better said David Whiting. Our research indicates that there is a huge untapped market of consumers who will respond to the proposition of quality food, produced more naturally, without pesticides and GM ingredients. Organic milk matches that desire  we know the market is there.

There is currently over-supply in the UK organic milk market. A significant number of farmers have completed their two-year conversion to organic methods in the past few months, following urging by the supermarkets.

It is frustrating that some supermarkets are importing organic dairy products, when we could supply them with British organic milk David Whiting added. We currently have a classic case of demand lagging behind supply, but this will only be a short-term problem. Potential demand is there  we just need to ensure organic milk is marketed effectively.

This is not the time to drop the price, as some suggest. There is no evidence that this would boost sales. Organic milk is a quality product, and costs more to produce than ordinary milk. Consumers want value for money, not cheapness, and our job is to explain the great value they get with organic milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter and cream.

Overall organic milk sales grew by 16% overall in 2001, while sales in the supermarkets grew by 28% (Nielsen).

ENDS

Contact: Drink Organic team: 0117 922 7799

Editors note:

· More information is available on OMSCos web-site: www.organicmilk.co.uk

Unlike ordinary milk, organic milk is produced:

· without the use of GM cattle feed

· without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilisers

· without the routine use of antibiotics

Pesticide traces (within the official allowed limits) were found by the Government in milk and butter in the last six months: for more information, visit www.pesticides.gov.uk

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