UK’s dairy farmer cooperative Dale Farm has secured its first cheese export deal to Japan with food manufacturer Hoko Co Ltd.
Hoko will be importing Dromona cheddar for use in its cheese production process, through which it seeks to bring the taste of natural cheddar to the Japanese consumer.
Hoko sells dairy and frozen foods into the retail, wholesale and catering sectors.
It imports high quality natural cheddar cheese from across the globe that is then processed to create cheese products suited to the tastes and dietary preferences of the Japanese consumer.
The company will now use Dromona cheese for this purpose following a visit to Dale Farm’s cheddar production facility at Dunmanbridge, Cookstown, Northern Ireland earlier this year.
Following £50 million (US$79.7 million) investment program into its processing plants across the UK last year, Dale Farm can produce up to 50,000 tons of high quality cheddar per year.
“By investing heavily into our processing facilities we have been able to increase our capability and international competitiveness,” said group commercial director Stephen Cameron.
“Hoko Co Ltd visited our cheese making plant at Dunmanbridge earlier this year, where they were able to see the world-class facilities we have in place and taste the premium quality cheddar we produce using top quality local milk.”
The contract is the latest success in Dale Farm’s export growth strategy, which has to date secured presence for its dairy products in more than 40 countries worldwide.
“The amount of dairy being imported by Japan has increased by over 20% in the past year so the market represents a substantial growth opportunity for our business. This relationship with Hoko is an excellent development for Dale Farm and the dairy farmers who supply us with milk,” said Cameron.
