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Future’s bright for dairy industry, says Dairy UK Prospects for the dairy industry are good, as trading conditions for farmers continue to improve, Dairy UK said today in response to DairyCo’s annual farmer intentions’ survey. Dairy UK Director General Jim Begg said: “Major changes in the dairy market over the past year have improved trading conditions for most dairy farmers. However, for UK milk production to fully stabilise, farmers need the confidence to undertake major investment, allowing them to achieve production efficiencies whilst meeting a growing burden of regulatory costs. “It is therefore important that the maximum value is obtained from milk. The recent rise in farm gate prices has seen milk recover the ground it has lost over the past 10 years, and sterling’s devaluation will underpin these gains. “Longer term the prospects are good. The opportunities for further gains from product innovation, supply chain co-operation and efficiency improvements are still enormous. Dairy companies are focusing on product differentiation to generate more added value. The industry is working closely with its customers to realise the opportunities in the market place. “Aside from these developments producers can be reassured that UK fresh milk and dairy products are just too important to the UK consumer for the market to be unable to adequately reward UK farmers. “A world-class industry is being built that can take on the challenges of tomorrow and forward looking farmers can be confident that there is a future for them in this industry.” For further information please contact Sam Fortescue, Communications Director at Dairy UK, on 020 7467 2630, or at sfortescue@dairyUK.org
Dairy sector commits to ambitious new environmental targets Dairy processors, farmers and retailers have today reached an
ambitious In a move that will set the mould for other sectors of the UK economy and is already attracting attention abroad, the dairy industry today published a Milk Road Map, which clearly sets out environmental targets over the next 12 years. By 2020, half of all plastic milk bottles will be recycled into new milk bottles, almost no waste will be sent to landfill by dairies and water and energy consumption will be lower in absolute terms. The recycling pledge alone will save 60,000 tonnes of virgin plastic each year, equivalent to 1.5 billion bottles. Other targets for 2020 include:
The Road Map, drawn up by the Dairy Supply Chain Forum’s
Sustainable Already a strong environmental performer, with investment in renewable Dairy UK Director General Jim Begg said: “The Milk Road
Map is a step change in the way we produce, process and consume
liquid milk. “Shoppers will be getting the same nutritious, tasty milk that they do now, but they will know that it has a lower impact on the environment than ever before. The dairy sector is leading the food industry with this initiative, and we are laying down a benchmark for other products to emulate.” The Road Map process was overseen by the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra). For further information please contact Sam Fortescue, Communications
Dairy UK Director Jim Begg speaks at DeLaval Conference
in Sweden Dairy UK Director General Jim Begg told conference goers in Sweden last week that there was a positive outlook for the global dairy industry (see link below to audio and video). His pre-recorded comments were played at the DeLaval conference in Stockholm last week (16 April) in his capacity as President of the International Dairy Federation. Begg said: “Consumers around the world like dairy products; they’re nutritious and tasty and because of that, demand is rising. Indeed, it is rising faster than producers can fulfil it.” He pointed to positive trends in customer numbers, disposable income and population growth, which were all driving demand. There were some threats to growth, Begg said, but they were overshadowed by growth prospects. “Threats include market volatility, because almost all the old price regulation systems have disappeared,” he added. “The second thing I’d identify is costs: there’s been a very significant cost increase in factories and on farms.” Begg also called the large rises in the dairy commodity market
seen last year a positive thing on balance. “The issue for
industry now is whether we plateau at a level higher than we started,
and because of positive demand, I think we’re likely to do
that.” Please click here to hear the interview with Jim Begg (8.59 MB) Right click here and then select "Save Target as" to download the video (21.0 MB)
Dairy Farming and the Evnvironment - This Year's Challenges Dairy UK is hosting a second conference for dairy farm advisers at Stoneleigh Park on 3rd June to help the industry meet the challenges set out in the Environmental Plan for Dairy Farming. This event is essential to anyone who provides advice to dairy farmers, including: farm consultants, Catchment Sensitive Farming Officers, milk buyers that are involved in discussions with dairy farmers, environmental consultants and agronomists. To attend then please either send an e-mail to Ian Wakeling at iwakeling@dairyuk.org or complete the attached response form and return it to Dairy UK as soon as possible. This year’s conference follows on from last year’s successful inaugural event and once again will focus on the key messages that need to be communicated to dairy farmers to help them lessen their environmental impact at least cost.
Dairy UK supports JAB campaign against Bluetongue Dairy UK and its members are supporting the livestock industry’s Joint campaign Against Bluetongue (JAB), which was launched in March under the banner ‘Don’t Hesitate, Vaccinate’. We are calling on farmers in England and Wales to ensure they vaccinate their sheep and cattle against Bluetongue to prevent the disease from spreading this summer. The midges that carry the disease from one animal to another are returning as the weather warms up for spring, which means the clock is now ticking for farmers to buy and administer the vaccine. Up to 22.5 million doses will become available from mid-May onwards and the JAB campaign aims to make sure that more than 80% of beef and sheep farmers use them. If this critical threshold is reached, then scientists say the disease will not spread widely in the UK. Other JAB supporters include the NFU, National Sheep Association, National Beef Association, Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, British Veterinary Association, Country Land and Business Association, Tenant Farmers Association, Livestock Auctioneers Association, British Meat Processors Association, Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, British Cattle Veterinary Association and the Sheep Veterinary Society.
For more news go to the News Archive EVENTSPlease click here to see dairy and agricultural events in 2007 and 2008; some of which Dairy UK will be involved.
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