19 Feb 2015

Sheep milk conference hopes to boost interest

8:48 am on 19 February 2015

Sheep's milk yoghurt and ice-cream will be on the menu at a conference today, which aims to expand and develop interest in the sheep dairying industry.

The Ewe Milk Products and Sheep Dairying conference will be held over the next two days in Palmerston North.

Massey University business school associate professor, Craig Prichard, said the industry had struggled to establish itself as a viable alternative to traditional but there was growing potential as interest in sheep dairy products increased.

"New Zealand has tried a couple of times back in the 80s and 90s to start a sheep dairy industry, but on both occasions the market - that is people's taste for particularly cheese wasn't really as developed as it is now."

He said in the last 10 to 15 years New Zealanders had become much more accustomed to sheep's milk products, particularly cheeses, such as feta, halloumi and pecorino.