National strategic plan for milk industry launched by RABDF at Dairy event

A packed programme of information forums, cattle competitions and trade displays drew the crowds to the two day RABDF Dairy Event at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire this week (17 and 18 Sept).

The creation of a strategic plan of where the UK milk industry should be in ten years time was launched by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers at the Dairy Event at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire this week. Speaking on the first morning of the show, RABDF chairman Tim Brigstocke said that the UK was probably the only major dairying country in the world without a long-term strategic plan in place. With the findings of the KPMG Milk Report and the effects of latest round of CAP reform on dairy farming in mind, Mr Brigstocke said that such a plan would help the industry map out a route towards a sustainable and profitable future.

"The dairy industry in the UK has been through traumatic change in recent years. It is clear to us all that the government will not be providing anything more than pump priming funding in the foreseeable future. It is up to the dairy farming sector to take responsibility for its own development. We see that a National Strategic Plan, involving all of the key organisations in our industry, will provide a framework for the future," said Tim Brigstocke. Anticipating completion of the report by spring 2004, Tim Brigstocke said that the RABDF's initiative on the True Costs of Milk Production Campaign was the first step in the Association's drive towards a stable future for the dairy industry. He said that most of the farm data collection organisations had now signed up to the RABDF's new guidelines on the costs of producing milk, which include realistic figures for the farmer's own remuneration, family labour costs, pensions and staff development.

The RABDF, Mr Brigstocke added, had already discussed the new guidelines with milk processors and government bodies and that the Association was monitoring all published articles on milk production costs to encourage widespread acceptance of the new calculations on costs.