The NFU says the launch of the government's new Dairy Export Programme¹, aimed at growing British dairy exports, is a significant boost for the sector and helps build on our ambitious plans to double the value of British dairy exports over the next 10 years.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak first made the commitment for a new £1m bespoke export programme during the Farm to Fork Summit at 10 Downing Street in May. Today Minister for Exports Lord Offord officially launched the programme during a visit to NFU member and cheese processor Lye Cross Farm near Bristol.

The government funding will provide a range of targeted support for UK dairy businesses to help them seize export opportunities and access new markets. It will also add to the work of the AHDB export team on trade promotion activity, including setting up trade missions and a new UK dairy showcase, and education sessions to support dairy businesses to grow their agri-food exports.

Attending the launch at Lye Cross Farm, NFU dairy board chair Michael Oakes said: "British dairy is a success story. We are an ambitious and innovative sector, producing products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, skimmed milk powder and butter to some of the highest environmental and animal welfare standards in the world.

"Although the industry already exports over £2bn worth of dairy and products such as whey to more than 135 countries, we have an ambition to double that value within the next decade.  As set out in the NFU's Dairy Export Strategy², boosting exports requires commitment and resource from government, working in partnership with industry, to help create market opportunities and enable growth.

"This funding commitment from government will boost on-going market development work and support dairy specific trade promotion We must continue to see joint industry and government collaboration on reducing barriers to trade and improving market access.  It's why we helped set up the Dairy Export Taskforce, alongside industry partners, dairy producers and government to grow the export of British products to the rest of the world.

"It puts the UK dairy industry in a strong position to bolster our global exports and help us to set a global standard when it comes to trading sustainable, climate-friendly dairy products."

• 1-Read more about the government's Dairy Export Programme here.
• 2-Find out more on the NFU Dairy Exports Strategy here.