Barrit Dairy was admitted as a new member of the Association of Denmark’s Private Dairies during the general assembly held in week 21.

On October 1, 2024, Barrit Dairy transitioned from being a cooperative owned by five milk producers to being privately owned by the former management couple, Helle and Brian Madsen, along with Steen Aalund Olsen.

Following this change, the Association of Denmark’s Private Dairies now counts 6 active members, 6 corporate members, and 14 associate members, according to the Danish Dairy Board’s website.

At the general assembly, Chairman Jens Beierholm Poulsen addressed market developments, both throughout 2024 and in more recent months, noting the attention being paid to changes in U.S. tariff policies. In 2024, Denmark’s privately owned dairies processed 461 million kilograms of milk, representing 8.1% of the country’s total milk intake (compared to 7.8% in 2023). These dairies produced 38 million kilograms of cheese, accounting for 7.4% of national cheese production (up from 7.2% in 2023).

Research and education play a crucial role in the dairy industry, and the chairman emphasized the importance of the industry taking responsibility for initiating projects in the dairy sector.
– We must do everything we can to ensure that dairy research remains attractive to universities – not only to maintain recruitment for the dairy engineering program at the University of Copenhagen, but also to secure qualified candidates from other universities, the chairman said. He continued:

• So far, we have managed to stay on track – largely due to the consistent commitment from within the industry – both in supporting education and in engaging in close collaboration with universities on various projects. This is a major strength, and these close partnerships ensure that we remain relevant to the academic world.

Photo: Barrit Dairy