Berlin- Germany, where angry dairy farmers recently poured milk down drains for 10 days in protest at low milk prices, has become the world's top exporter of cheese, according to new data Thursday.

The 2007 exports, valued at 2.7 billion euros (4.2 billion dollars) surpassed in value those of France, a junior minister of agriculture, Gerd Mueller, said in Berlin.

By tonnage, Germany had led competitors France, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Italy since 2006.

A federal agency that collects farm data, ZMP, said the cheese output was mainly based on the 28 million tons of milk produced annually by Germany's 101,000 dairy farmers, plus a small amount of imported milk.

Talks are still under way on farm-gate milk prices after the protests, which were mainly aimed against German grocery chains dictating bargain prices for milk and packaged dairy products. The farmers also object to planned changes in European Union milk rules. (dpa)