Colombia is making a huge push to develop its dairy industry, with a focus on exports to the United States, announced Proexport Colombia. The country is the fourth largest dairy producer in Latin America, and three of its top food manufacturers are dairy-based, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Proexport, Colombia’s arm for investment, tourism, and exports, announced that it would be focusing on a greater number of dairy products to the U.S. moving forward. Products most likely to be included in the push are cheese, caramel, yogurt, whey and curds.

“There are many possibilities for dairy exports to the United States, and Proexport is dedicated to assisting Colombian companies find the best opportunities for their products,” said Proexport President Maria Claudia Lacouture.

Colombian experts have identified many dairy sector products that are in high demand in the U.S., most notably dairy desserts and Greek yogurt – a growing fad.

Proexport and its partners are also aware of the quality demands of the U.S. import market, such as English-language labels, ingredient specifications, FDA-approved additives and dyes and streamlined producer-consumer processes. The agency is working hard to ensure that companies meet these specifications, holding seminars on opportunities and requirements in the U.S. for dairy industry professionals.

The U.S-Colombia Free Trade Agreement is very conducive to the flow of exports between the two countries. Since the Free Trade Agreement took affect, diary exports are up 11.6 percent. Incidentally, the value of total exports grew by 22 percent, largely due to the immediate entry of yogurt, milk, butter, ice cream and cheese into the market.

In 2013, Colombian farmers produced 6.617 billion liters of milk, about 18.2 million liters per day according to Fedegan.