Dairy UK Press Relase Archive: January - May 2008

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MAY

Dairy UK calls for transparent CAP Health Check
posted 21st May 2008

Dairy UK welcomes the European Commission’s long awaited proposals on the CAP Health Check, but says that processors and farmers need reforms to be more transparent.

Responding to the proposals, Dairy UK Policy Director Peter Dawson said: “Dairy UK fully shares Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel’s vision of an industry without quotas or permanent market subsidies. That is the only long-term sustainable future for this industry and I believe we can prosper in such an environment.

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Fane Valley Chief Elected Vice Chair of Dairy UK
posted 20th May 2008

Trevor Lockhart has been elected Vice Chairman of Dairy UK’s Northern Ireland Board.

The Fane Valley chief joined the board in 2007 and has been involved with the local dairy sector in various roles for over 15 years.

Commenting on his appointment, Lockhart said: “I am honoured that my fellow Board members have elected me Vice Chairman of Dairy UK in Northern Ireland. I am greatly looking forward to working with the Chairman, Paul Vernon, Vice Chairman James Walker, and the NI Director, Dr Mike Johnston.

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Future’s bright for dairy industry, says Dairy UK
posted 2nd May 2008

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.

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Dairy sector commits to ambitious new environmental targets
posted 1st May 2008

Dairy processors, farmers and retailers have today reached an ambitious
agreement to further reduce the environmental impact of milk.

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.

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APRIL

Dairy Farming and the Evnvironment - This Year's Challenges
Stoneleigh Park, Tuesday 3rd June 2008
posted 22nd April 2008

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.

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Dairy UK supports JAB campaign against Bluetongue
posted 14th April 2008

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.

MARCH

New Dairy UK Director for Northern Ireland prioritises envirnoment and continued industry growth
posted 27th March 2008

Dairy UK’s new Northern Ireland Director, Dr Mike Johnston, said today he would make the high cost of environmental compliance for dairy companies one of the key priorities in his new role.

Dr Johnston, who succeeds Paul Archer on 1 April, said: “Dairy UK and its members across Great Britain and Northern Ireland are strongly committed to further improvements in their environmental performance. But, as with many areas of public policy, the cost of compliance and the burden of red tape is a major concern. We need both clear guidelines and uniformity in their application across the UK. At the minute we have neither.”

The threat of Bluetongue is also near the top of the Dairy UK agenda in Northern Ireland. Dr Johnston will keep up close contact with DARDNI officials to monitor developments and keep NI members informed.

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Dairy UK says advertising restrictions not addressing the real issue
posted 20th March 2008

Restrictions on advertising ‘junk foods’ to children should not be extended because they don’t work, Dairy UK told the Westminster Forum this week.

In addition, the definition of junk food needs to be re-examined, since some milk, yogurt and cheese are put into this category by the Food Standards Agency’s Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM). Dairy products are packed with high quality protein and micronutrients which are a vital part of a balanced diet.

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Dairy UK Appoints Environment Manager
posted 17th March 2008

Dairy UK has appointed a new Environment Manager to lead work on energy saving in the dairy sector. Maria Wasley has already started work and is helping to fine tune far-reaching environmental targets for dairy companies.

Maria joins Dairy UK from consultancy RSK Environmental Health and Safety, where she was a Senior Engineer. She is also a member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

She has worked with industry across a broad range of environmental matters including developing climate change strategies, compliance, evaluation of emissions to air, land and water, and emissions reduction.

Maria can be reached at mwasley@dairyUK.org or by phone on 020 7467 2602.

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Healthy Increase for Healthy Start
posted 4th March 2008

Dairy UK today welcomes the Department of Health’s decision to increase the value of the Healthy Start voucher by 7%.

Following significant lobbying of the DoH, Dairy UK is delighted that the voucher value will increase from £2.80 to £3.00 from April. Healthy Start vouchers can be redeemed by beneficiaries for fresh milk and fruit and vegetables and play a vital role in the provision of child nutrition.

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FEBRUARY

Industry success as Dairy UK delivers new legislation
27th February 2008

Dairy UK has scored a significant success for the Dairy Industry, delivering new legislation ahead of schedule in co-operation with the Food Standards Agency.

European legislation to allow the protein content of milk powder to be standardised would have been introduced in the UK by August, but a special request from Dairy UK to the Food Standards Agency has resulted in publication now.

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Dairy UK is Active for Farmers with newsletter
21st February 2008

Dairy UK’s latest issue of Active for Farmers – a newsletter published for milk producers – leads with an update on plans to raise milk quotas.

Our analysis suggests that a 2% rise in quotas this April will be of no benefit to UK dairy farmers. Milk production in this country is already below quota and Dairy UK believes that the proposed increase could cut prices by boosting supply elsewhere in Europe.

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Click here for Newsletter

Dairy UK Publishes CAP Health Check and the Dairy Sector Booklet
19th February 2008

Dairy UK has published a comprehensive booklet The Cap Health Check and the Dairy Sector which is a definitive guide to the reform for all dairy businesses.

Policy Director Peter Dawson said: “The discussions on the Health Check are now gathering pace in Brussels. Dairy UK supports the abolition of the quota regime by 2015. We want a market led industry, free from taxpayer support, where farmers and processors are free to flourish and innovate.

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Download CAP Health Check and the Dairy Sector booklet (302.0 KB)

Dairy UK Statement on the Grocery Investigation
15th February 2008

Following publication of the Competition Commission’s provisional decision on remedies in the grocery market investigation, Dairy UK Director General, Jim Begg said: “Our overarching objective is to create a sustainable industry in which everyone is fairly treated – consumers, farmers and dairy companies.

“Accountability and transparency are essential to the success of the dairy supply chain but care needs to be taken to ensure that further regulation does not make the UK industry less competitive.

“The danger of that would be to drive the industry’s customers to buy from abroad and that would certainly not be in the interests of our consumers, farmers, retailers or dairy companies.

“We have made substantial progress in recent years. There is fresh impetus in the UK dairy industry now and that must be built on for the future.

“Dairy prices have increased recently to reflect movements in markets, but that comes after a 10-year period of food price deflation. Dairy products in this country are still extremely good value for consumers.”

Further info, contact Dairy UK Communications Director Sam Fortescue on 07918 942 999 or Ramsay Smith at Media House on 07788 414 856.

Dairy UK to play full part in FSA programme on saturated fat
5th February 2008

Dairy UK will play a full part in improving the nation’s diet as an integral part of the FSA’s Saturated Fat and Energy Intake Programme, which was announced today (5 February).

Technical Director Ed Komorowski said: “Dairy UK and its members are willing to play a full part in improving the nation’s health, and will be working closely with the FSA to deliver a workable strategy.”

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Dairy UK disappointed over Milk Link - First Milk merger outcome
5th February 2008

The abandoned merger of Milk Link and First Milk is disappointing because dairy industry consolidation is a key part of adapting to competitive pressures in the longer term, according to Dairy UK.

Dairy UK director-general Jim Begg said: “The UK food industry is one of the most competitive in the world. Only through economies of scale can home-grown dairy companies ensure they have the financial resources and muscle needed to keep innovating and to maintain a well-balanced supply chain.

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january

Dairy UK supports EC's nutritional labelling plan
31st January 2008

Dairy UK strongly supports the key elements of the European Commission’s proposal to introduce mandatory nutritional labelling on food.

We endorse Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou’s call for EU-wide adoption of system similar to the Guideline Daily Amounts already used by much of the UK’s food industry.

Responding to the draft Food Labelling Regulation, adopted by the Commission yesterday (30 January), Dairy UK director-general Jim Begg said:

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Dairy UK welcomes new obesity strategy
23rd January 2008

Dairy UK said today the dairy industry would be a ‘willing and enthusiastic’ partner in the Government’s new drive to tackle obesity.

Responding to the publication of the Government’s strategy ‘Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives’, Jim Begg, Director General of Dairy UK, said: “I’m glad that government has recognised the role of the food industry in its latest policy aimed at tackling the growing obesity epidemic”.

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Dairy plays 'Key Role' in fight against obesity
22nd January 2008

Dairy products can play a key role in dieting and weight loss and are unfairly branded as unhealthy in the debate on obesity, an international conference was told today.

Leading nutritionists say that people who consume too few dairy products are at greater risk of being overweight, and research in the United States has shown that pre-school children who didn't have enough milk and milk products in their diet gained more body fat over time compared with children consuming the recommended amount.

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Dairy UK brings top international speakers to London for landmark Obesity and the Dairy Industry Conference
16th January 2008

Levels of obesity have tripled in England since 1980 and there is no sign of the upward trend stopping. Currently, over half of women and about two-thirds of men are either overweight or obese.

Being overweight or obese also increases the risk of developing heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis. Obesity causes about 18 million sick days and 30,000 deaths a year in England alone.

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