MPs tour UK's largest dairy plant to see future of British milk production
MPs have been given a first-hand look at the future of British dairy after touring the UK’s largest fresh milk processing plant and a nearby farm.
The visit included a tour of Arla Foods’ Aylesbury Dairy, which processes more than 1.75 billion pints of milk each year using advanced robotics and automation, making it the biggest fresh milk facility in the country.
The visit formed part of the NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship scheme, which aims to give parliamentarians a better understanding of how the farming sector supports food production, food security and rural economies.
MPs first visited the Arla Innovation Farm near Princes Risborough before heading to the Aylesbury dairy, giving them a ‘field-to-fork’ insight into the dairy supply chain and the role modern farming and processing play in the UK dairy industry.
The dairy sector is one of the UK’s largest agricultural industries and plays a key role in supporting rural jobs and food production.
NFU deputy president Paul Tompkins said the visit helped demonstrate the importance of the sector.
“It’s great to get MPs out on farm and around a major processing facility so they have a better understanding of the importance of the dairy sector and the wider supply chain and its contribution to food production, the environment, jobs and rural communities,” he said.
Mr Tompkins said visits like this help policymakers better understand the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture.
“Providing valuable knowledge and information to our politicians on visits like this can go a long way in helping to create a more resilient, sustainable and profitable industry,” he said.
Paul Dover, UK agriculture director at Arla Foods, said the company was pleased to support the NFU programme for a second year.
“This is the second year that we have supported the NFU Parliamentary Fellowship programme by hosting a visit on farm and to Arla Aylesbury,” he said.
“It is really valuable to showcase our role as the UK's biggest agricultural co-operative and the commitment of our farmers and colleagues to underpin food security.”
Mr Dover added that Arla looked forward to continuing to work with the Fellowship programme in the future.
The NFU launched the Food and Farming Fellowship scheme in 2024 to help MPs see first-hand how nutritious and affordable food reaches consumers from field to fork.
Those taking part in the dairy sector visit included Ben Goldsborough MP, Maya Ellis MP, Josh Fenton-Glynn MP, John Milne MP and Amanda Hack MP.
Arla Foods UK is Britain’s largest dairy company, processing around 3.5 billion litres of milk each year.
The cooperative is owned by around 7,800 dairy farmers across Europe, including many in the UK.
