My hopeful garden

This weekend, I did the usual inspect the seed box, and forget what those seeds I collected were (what type of squash is that?) and then go online, and to the magical seed catalogue. I then order what I now term a series of hopeful seeds – the photos look awesome, and that will be my garden. I may be wandering around it wearing a long floaty dress and a giant straw hat as well, in the summer breeze, selecting the amazing produce that has grown.

I have an active imagination, as it’s usually grubby clothes, while I dig up weeds and inspect the remains of whatever I did plant. Collect the tiny carrots and muddy potatoes, as well as the slug and bug gnawed veggies and eat them.

Reality and the imagination are two different things in gardening. That being said, the bulbs are starting to come up through the water-logged soil, which is good to see.

I think that can be a metaphor for a lot of what’s going on in the dairy industry. Despite uncertainty, added-value investments are increasing for everyone from Agropur of Canada to Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses in the UK. The Middle East is seeing further investment from big players such as Arla Foods, to support the growth in that market, and Sidel is showcasing its equipment in India, as that country sees exponential growth in dairy packaging, with Britannia’s Winkin’ Cow brand the latest to be filled aseptically.

So, while there is still a lot of rain and mud around, things are changing. Of course, there are tariffs. China has implemented these for EU dairy products, but at a lower level than was originally expected (see our article in the March issue of Dairy Industries International for further examination of this) and the US is going to continue to be a guessing game for manufacturers, exporters and processors of every stripe on that point. Still, the underlying principles work and the bulbs have not rotted away. Growth will occur. Get those seeds planted.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
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