Free trade agreement with Faroe Islands on dairy products

Progress is being made on the implementation of a free trade agreement signed in November last year between Iceland and the Faroe Islands regarding the export of cultured dairy products and long-lasting milk.

The dairy farmer’s cooperatives in the Faroe Islands and in Iceland have recently come to an understanding on the distribution of imported milk products under the agreement. Mjólkarvirki Búnadarmanna, the cooperative from Faroe, and Mjólkursamsalan (MS), it’s counterpart in Iceland are working together to make the free trade agreement a reality.

Some are doubtful that the scheme will work. CEO of MS, Gudbrandur Sigurdsson believes that the milk production in the Faroe Islands is insufficient to allow for significant exports. Nevertheless,? MS will be sending their own products over the waters very soon

“We haven’t exported daily products to the Faroe Islands to a great extent yet,” Sigurdsson said. “We have sent a few examples to be put on sale and hope to be able to begin real export this fall.”

One item that is likely to be propular with the Faroese is skyr, a cultured dairy product traditionally made in Iceland. Skyr is a soft, fresh cheese similiar to quark in Germany. “The Faroese know skyr well and we believe that the Faroe Islands have a good market for unique Icelandic products,” Sigurdsson concluded.

The Faroe Islands? are an autonomous region within the Kingdom of? Denmark and are located half way between? Scotland and Iceland.