All dairy producers are invited to enter the 2021 SA Dairy Championships, the biggest, oldest and most prestigious dairy event in the country.

The championships, hosted by Agri-Expo since 1834, annually attracts around 900 entries from large, medium and small manufacturers. These dairy products compete for the esteemed titles of SA Champion, the Qualité mark of excellence and the ultimate Product of the Year, awarded at the glamorous South African Dairy Awards.

According to chief judge Alan Fourie, the purpose of the championships is to recognise and promote excellence in the dairy industry. “The SA Dairy Championships is one of the few in the world that uses five judges per category and has become the benchmark for producers to measure themselves against each other,” Fourie says.

The championships consists of more than 100 classes for cheese, yoghurt, milk, cream, ice cream, butter and other dairy products. The winners in each of the classes are crowned as SA Champion, whereas only products of exceptional quality are awarded the Qualité award, recognised by the industry as the only mark of excellence for dairy products in South Africa. After the first round of judging by more than 70 judges, an independent panel of five specialists determine the Product of the Year.

Any dairy producer with products available in the trade may enter. Online entries for the 2021 SA Dairy Championships opens on Monday 11 January 2021 on the website www.cheesesa.co.za. The closing date for entries is Monday 1 February 2021. Judging takes place on Thursday 25 February 2021 at the Percheron Hall at Elsenburg. The SA Dairy Awards will be presented on Friday 26 March 2021 at the Endler Hall in Stellenbosch. The SA Dairy Championships and the SA Dairy Awards are made possible in collaboration with platinum partner Synercore and other partners. For more information, visit www.cheesesa.co.za, or contact Agri-Expo at 021-975 4440 or cheese@agriexpo.co.za.