Page 29 - FoodFocusThailand No.222 September 2024

SPECIAL FOCUS

Overview of the dairy industry and cheese 2. Jartisann: The Cheese Baron is a Chiang Mai-based
market in Thailand brand specializing in making distinctive cheeses utilizing local
Most of Thailand’s dairy production areas are located in wisdom and ingredients. This brand makes some interesting
the North and Northeast. According to the Livestock cheeses, like the soft San Paquanburie cheese, manufactured
Economics Research Group, Department of Livestock with the same culturing microorganisms used in Brie production,
Development, Thailand produced approximately 1.079 and the attractive black Forrest Tale cheese prepared using olive
million tons of dairy milk in 2024, an increase of 5.17% oil and beeswax.
from 1.026 million tons in 2023. Meanwhile, the
consumption of ready-to-drink milk in 2024 was 0.878
million tons, decreased by 3.04% from 0.905 million tons
in 2023. With regard to the overall consumption of all
dairy products, the consumption of dairy products in 2024
was 2.025 million tons, which decreased by 5.72% from
2023. The data indicates that consumers are more
interested in and consume more processed milk
products, such as yoghurt, Greek yoghurt, ice cream, 3. The Cheese Baron: The Cheese Baron is a cheese
and cheese, which has resulted in a decline in the manufacturer based in Ratchaburi that operates a dairy farm of
consumption trend of ready-to-drink dairy products. its own. This company produces a range of cheeses, including
Based on statistics from cheese product marketing, Paneer, Halloumi, Burrata, and cream cheeses.
Thailand’s domestic cheese sales income is projected
to reach USD 117 million in 2024, growing at an average
annual rate of 5.40% from 2024 to 2029. However,
a study of the worldwide cheese business shows that,
in 2024, the U.S. generated the most money from cheese
sales, coming in at USD 32,020 million . In terms of the
1
value of cheese imports and exports, according to the
Customs Department, Thailand imported 20 million
kilograms of cheese from other countries in 2023 but
exported only 1 million kilograms or USD 6.5 million of
the cheese. At the moment, the average annual
consumption of cheese among Thais is 0.3 kilograms,
which is not a very significant amount. Cheeses with
a mild flavor, such as mozzarella, cheddar, and parmesan
cheeses, are preferred by Thai people. This applies to
both processed and natural cheeses. Cheese blended
with emulsifiers may be flavored and colored before
being pasteurized and formed into sheets, bars, and
other shapes, known as processed cheese. 2,3
Case study of interesting Thai cheese
producers
Even though cheese originated in the West, Asia,
especially Thailand, has become increasingly popular
with Western-style meals due to population growth and
food culture expansion. As a result, more cheese brands
have been established by domestic cheese producers.
Here are some examples of cheese producers in
Thailand who have created interesting and unique
cheese products.
1. Dacheeso Home Style Cheese: For more than
30 years, Dacheeso Home Style Cheese has been a
renowned home-style cheese from Chiang Mai. This
brand makes a variety of high-quality cheeses, including
smoked cheddar, ricotta, and mozzarella, using cow’s
milk from farms around Chiang Mai.

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