Michal Nmec, chairman of the Czech and Moravian Dairy Association, told DairyReporter.com that cheese imports into the country had risen by 20 per cent on a year-on-year basis since it had entered the EU back in 2004, growing three-fold since obtaining membership. 

While he expected the growth to continue during the next few years, Nmec claimed that this has not yet translated into growing demand for higher value, top end cheeses, offering a potentially lucrative new market for EU cheese makers.

"Most of the imports relate to the Edam type of cheese, which is already being produced by most Czech producers," he stated.  "In this regard, the access for the top end products on the Czech market is relatively open, otherwise the market is ripe for cheap products import."

Growing demand

Nmec cited both growing consumption of the product in the country as well as the emergence of operating chains increasingly reliant on cheaper to manufacture cheeses from markets like Poland.

In recent years, the association said changing dietary habits within the country had seen cheese consumption, increase by 16 per cent since 2004.

An innovative future

In looking ahead, while Nmec was keen to stress that Czech cheese products were fully inline with EU quality and safety guidelines, there was a growing trend in the country for innovative products new types of cheese products, with national promotions under way.

"The local market is open for speciality cheese from other types of milk (e.g goat and sheep," he stated.

Lactalis

The potential of cheese and dairy products in the Czech market has not gone unnoticed by some leading European dairy groups.

Last year, France-based Lactalis acquired a majority stake in Czech dairy Mlekarna Kunin as part of efforts into the potential for dairy products in the country.