UK – Troubled processor Express Dairies has said this week that trading so far this year is up on the same time last year. It also said it has been granted a licence to deliver parcels.

In a statement, the company said that trading conditions remained difficult. It added that Express shareholders and the Milk Link Council had approved the proposed sale of plants to cooperative Milk Link. As a result, the deal will complete before the end of July.

UK postal regulator Postcomm has given Express a 12 month licence to deliver up to 4.6 million parcels per year. Express applied for the licence in an attempt to raise the profitability of its milk delivery business.