Turkey Set to Once Again Import US Dairy Products

After a three-year lapse to negotiate a new agreement, Turkey will resume import of U.S. dairy products.“We’re pleased to learn this hiatus is over and that American dairy companies once again have access to Turkey, a market that was worth $24.2 million for U.S. dairy in 2014,” said Beth Hughes, International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) senior director of international affairs.USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announced Sept. 4, that negotiations over a new health certificate – required by Turkey — for U.S. dairy met with success and that a new agreement is in place. Producers could begin exporting dairy products for human consumption, and sourced from the U.S. from cows, ewes, goats, and buffalo, to Turkey as of July 31, 2018, USDA says.Dairy exports from the U.S. to Turkey were halted on March 31, 2016, when no further extensions were granted for the use of the previous health certificate and while negotiations for a new certificate were underway.Turkey is a large dairy producer but also imports around $200 million each year in specialty products such as cheese, butter, infant formula and lactose, USDA says. Turkey imports most of its dairy products from Europe.