The inaugural Global Dairy Trade (GDT) Buyers’ Conference was held this morning in Singapore. It attracted a “full house” of companies that buy or sell products on GDT Events or GDT Marketplace – the firms main trading platforms.

The half-day event was an opportunity for buyers and sellers from all over the world to connect with each other and members of the GDT through a programme of presentations and networking sessions, according to the GDT.

Eric Hansen, director of Global Dairy Trade described the conference as an “invaluable opportunity to build business relationships”.

Elaborating, Hansen said: “Buyers from 45 companies were able to meet with representatives from 12 sellers on the GDT trading platforms.

“Companies that have been with GDT Events since the early days — NZMP, Arla, Arla Foods Ingredients and Amul — were joined by Agropur and Hilmar from our recently formed US lactose pool, as well as our newest seller Polish Dairy.

The turnout of GDT Marketplace sellers was equally strong, with representation from Asian Blending, Cayuga Milk Ingredients, Dairygold, Greenfields (representing Glanbia Ireland), Milligans Food Group, and NZMP [Fonterra].

Describing the reasoning behind the event, Hansen said: “Following a deep dive on our two trading platforms, we facilitated a networking session so buyers could engage directly with sellers to learn about their products.

“While our online trading platforms regularly connect these two customer groups, it is the first time we have brought people together face to face. The feedback on the conference and the business connections it provided has been very positive,” the director added.

The conference agenda included a range of topics, including: an update on GDT developments; an overview on the GDT Events Oversight Board; and presentations on GDT Events and GDT Marketplace.

Details were also given on a major upgrade of the GDT Events platform.

About GDT

Global Dairy Trade (GDT) was formed in 2008 to form a global online market for dairy products. The firm says that since 2008 its sellers have sold over five million metric tonnes of dairy products via GDT Events.

The firm – run by Fonterra Cooperative Group but “operationally and physically separate from Fonterra” – claims that it has proven to the global market that it provides “credible reference prices for globally traded dairy ingredients”.