A WELLINGTON-BASED dairy company has set its sights on increasing its exports to China by 50 per cent in the next two years with the launch of new products.

Somerdale International exports British cheese brands including Westminster Cheddar, Cropwell Bishop and Long Clawson, to 50 countries around the world. The USA, Australia and the Caribbean are currently its biggest international markets.

Part of the business’s plans to increase exports to China is the launch of a variety of new cheese products, which will include packaged cheese slices. The products will come in a variety of new flavours and packet sizes to appeal to the Chinese market.

The business has received support from advisers at the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to help it navigate the Chinese market, including help to address concerns around the language barrier and legal and tax regulations.

For the full story see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.