Next month sees the return of one of the UK's largest dairy events, Dairy-Tech, taking place on 7 April at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.
This year, more than ever, Dairy-Tech is centred around equipping dairy producers with the knowledge they need to help their businesses remain profitable and adapt. More than 300 exhibitors will be at the event, with over 80 new product launches- the most ever yet!
Award-winning Devon dairy farmer Di Wastenage has become the first female Chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF), succeeding Somerset farmer Peter Alvis.
At the March RABDF Chairman's Committee, Mrs Wastenage, previously RABDF's Vice Chairman, started her three-year tenure.
Mrs Wastenage is a director of her family's dairy farming business in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, and along with her husband Peter, was awarded Dairy Farmer and Farmers Weekly, Farmer of the Year in 2015. She also received an MBE in the Queen's 2021 New Year's Honours for her services to UK Agriculture.
In her role as Vice Chairman at RABDF, she has contributed to a wide range of topics, including the environment, animal health and welfare, and encouraging young entrepreneurs and new entrants into agriculture.
She is an ambassador for women in farming. Through her role as Patron of Women in Dairy, she showcases the importance of female roles and the exciting opportunities for women in the sector.
Commenting on her role, Mrs Wastenage said: "I'm delighted to be RABDF Chairman and am thankful to Peter for handing over the Chairmanship to me in such a great position. Peter has done a sterling job over the last three year's having been instrumental during one of the most challenging times in the sector with Brexit, the pandemic and the phasing out of the Basic Payment Schemes.
"Peter's work in setting up the milk losses survey during the pandemic was instrumental in leading to the Government's Dairy Response Fund. His current work developing an emissions toolkit for farmers will also have a lasting legacy."
Commenting on her plans during the tenure, Mrs Wastenage added: "Over the next three years, we are going to see some significant changes in the dairy sector with the phasing out of basic payments, the arrival of the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMs) and possible regulations coming from the Clean Air Strategy, including the permitting of intensive beef and dairy farms. So, it's going to be vital to communicate with the government and the wider industry every step of the way to ensure we end up with practical measures that are not detrimental to the industry.
"Labour also remains a big issue and is something I will continue to focus on," she said.
Peter will continue to be involved in the Chairman's Committee. Cumbria dairy farmer Robert Craig takes over as Vice Chairman with a successor for his position expected to take place at the Association's AGM in the autumn.
The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has welcomed news this week (22 February) that the Government will help fund improvements in the health and welfare of livestock, including fully-funded annual vet visits and grants to improve conditions for livestock.
Speaking at the NFU Conference yesterday, DEFRA's Secretary of State George Eustice revealed details of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway– a programme of financial support for farmers in the pig, cattle, sheep and poultry sectors, based around key animal health and welfare priorities.
These include reducing mastitis and lameness in dairy cattle, improving biosecurity to control pig diseases endemic to the UK and improving the feather cover of laying hens.
To help farming sectors make these improvements, Animal Health and Welfare Grants will be launched within the next year. These will help fund investments such as equipment and technology or larger projects like upgrading housing for dairy cattle to deliver improvements in lameness, cow comfort and calf mortality.
As part of the Pathway, the Government will initially offer cattle, sheep and pig farmers who are eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme funding for an annual visit from a vet of their choice. This will enable them to carry out diagnostic testing, review biosecurity and responsible use of medicines, and provide advice relating to the health and welfare of their animals. These visits will launch later this year and the offer will be further extended over time to other types of livestock farmers.
The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway will also include a disease eradication and control programme. This will allow farmers to apply for financial support to enable them to take measures to prevent and reduce endemic diseases affecting livestock, such as veterinary advice, vaccination, or improvements to on-farm management.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said: "The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway is for those farmers who are in pursuit of higher profitability through better health outcomes, and it starts with an annual vet visit.
"Farmers will be able to have a vet of their choice, the family vet that they trust, and the Government will pay. That vet will be able to help the farmer put together a plan for improved animal health and improved profitability on their livestock holding."
Commenting on the Pathway's launch, RABDF Vice-Chairman Di Wastenage said: "The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway is a massive step in helping take the already high health and welfare status of our national herd to that next level.
"Endemic diseases and conditions such as lameness are a huge drain on farms. So, the bespoke reports farmers receive after their initial vet visit will set the foundations for which farmers and their vets can build on to improve the health of their livestock."
Mrs Wastenage added: "The Pathway demonstrates the Government's long-term commitment to drive animal health and welfare priorities. It's important as an industry we embrace this and recognise the difference this can make.
"Having a higher health national flock or herd will have a reduced need for veterinary medicines and particularly antibiotics. This means stock will be more efficient reducing the effect on the environment and it will also underpin our international reputation for good health and welfare, which will help bolster our export opportunities," said Ms Wastenage.
Further information on how livestock farmers can apply for the first step of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, the Annual Health and Welfare Review, will be shared in the Spring.
The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) is disappointed at the sensationalist picture painted of the UK dairy industry during last night's (14th Feb) BBC Panorama programme, which showed several cases of animal abuse and questioned cow and calf welfare.
The programme titled ‘A Cow's Life: The True Cost of Milk?’ detailed numerous cases of animal abuse on a Welsh dairy farm, which the RABDF is saddened by. It also highlighted lameness and the removal of calves from their mothers at birth.
RABDF Managing Director Matt Knight said: "UK dairy farmers operate to some of the highest welfare standards in the world due to the robust and comprehensive legal frameworks protecting animal welfare alongside the credible quality assurance schemes and initiatives that exist. Cow welfare is at the heart of everything they do. Happy cows are productive cows, which is why it is so important.
"Lameness was an issue highlighted on the programme with one vet suggesting up to 30% of cows expected to be lame in the UK. The industry is working hard to overcome lameness with diagnostic, early warning tools helping highlight the issues early.
"Our farmers work long hours, often going weeks without a break to ensure the health and welfare of their cows are maintained. So, we are sad the BBC has chosen to highlight one farm where inexcusable abuse was witnessed, as this is not representative of our industry," he said.
Mr Knight added: "While the inclusion of the Ethical Dairy in Scotland, whereby calves are kept with their mothers, showed high welfare, the system is not commercially viable for most dairy farmers, with the programme highlighting that most of the liquid milk was consumed by the calves.
"The programme did, however, highlight the fact many farmers are losing money or making very little money, which is important as the value of milk is underestimated by the vast majority of consumers both in monetary and nutritional terms. It is time milk and dairy products are valued correctly," added Mr Knight.
The UK's sales of dairy products continue to rise, with an extra 302 million litres of milk bought in 2021 compared to 2019. In 2021, cheese volumes increased by 13.2 per cent compared to 2019.
Mr Knight added: "Our farms continue to improve the highest levels of welfare in the world and are vital in producing one of the most versatile products which form an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet."
Farmers wishing to leave the industry could receive a lump sum payment of up to £100,000 in plans set out by the Government to allow them to exit in a managed way.
The Lump Sum Exit Scheme is due to open in April and the application period will run until the end of September. The payment will be based on the average direct payments made to the farmer for the 2019 to 2021 Basic Payment Scheme years. This reference figure will be capped at £42,500 and multiplied by 2.35 to calculate the lump sum, meaning that farmers could receive up to around £100,000.
In 2017, with funding from the Rural Development Program for England (RDPE), the TB Advisory Service was set up to deliver TB biosecurity advice on farm and telephone advice to cattle keepers across the High Risk and Edge Areas of England. To date they have delivered TB Biosecurity Advice to over 3000 farmers.
The decision by Morrisons to remove Use-By-dates from milk packaging to avoid food wastage is welcomed news for the dairy industry, according to the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF).
From the end of January, the retailer will replace Use-By-dates with Best Before dates on 90% of its own-brand milk and encourage customers to use a sniff test to check quality.
