One real shining light of the current crisis for Irish dairy farmers is the continuing German love affair with the Kerrygold brand.

This week we spoke to Ornua Germany managing director Danica Siemer about how the organisation is coping with COVID-19 restrictions. We all know about the success of Kerrygold butter in Germany, however, not as many Irish farmers know about the success of Kerrygold cheddar there.

Fastest-selling

Kerrygold continues to be the fastest-selling food or beverage product on supermarket shelves in Germany. In 2019, Kerrygold cheddar grew its market share to 43% and cemented itself as the market leader. Kerrygold vintage cheddar slices were also launched last year and were awarded product of the year in the German retail trade press.

As Danica explains in this recording with our agribusiness editor Lorcan Allen, Ornua (formerly the Irish Dairy Board) has a packing and distribution centre in Germany and is firmly established as the number one butter and cheddar in Germany.

More than 60% of Germans buy at least one pack of Kerrygold each year. Over one million packs leave this German factory to retailers and shoppers every day. It is the fastest selling single-unit product of all food and beverage brands in the German market.

Why the success? The unique taste of grass-fed butter and cheddar and over 50 years of investment in one brand. Do we need more brands and would it be the right decision for your co-op to create a new brand? That may be right for your co-op and you can justify it at that level, but for the industry as a whole is it the right thing to do?

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Watch: Farm Tech Talk - Farm to Fork, Chinese trends and Kerrygold for beef