The RABDF provides the secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Dairy Farmers. The APPG was established in June 2006 to generate Government action on the continued milk price cuts and subsequent dwindling returns to producers.

RABDF's terms of reference are to deliver as follows:

• Propose agenda items for the APPG chairman's approval
• Circulate agenda and meeting minutes to all APPG members
• Provide monthly updates to all APPG members
• Identify experts to advise the APPG
• Arrange outside speakers to address APPG meetings
• Organise activities to raise awareness among MPs and peers

There are currently more than 80 cross-party MPs and peers involved in the APPG, including Conservative party leader David Cameron.

APPG chairman Daniel Kawczynski MP commented on formation of the group:

“I am pleased to chair this important APPG at a time when milk prices continue their decline. Farmers need all the support they can get in Westminster to help them fight their corner at this time. This is an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of dairy farmers here in Parliament, and then hopefully in their constituencies. More needs to be done from the regulatory side to make sure that producers are getting as fair a deal as consumers, which I do not believe is the case at the moment. I hope that this group will act as a major catalyst to improve dairy farmers' returns, providing sufficient for reinvestment to encourage a sustainable business.”

To view a list of members of the APPG, please click here.

For more information on the APPG for Dairy Farmers, please contact the RABDF on 0845 4582711, or email appg@rabdf.co.uk

27 March 2007

• RABDF and MPs take frustrations to Brussels

The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers accompanied a delegation of members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dairy Farmers to Brussels this week, Thurs 29 April, to meet with European Commissioner for Agriculture, Mariann Fischer Boel and the European Parliament's agricultural committee chairman, Neil Parish MEP. More...

13 October 2006

• APPG calls for greater transparency in dairy food chain

Calls for greater transparency throughout the dairy supply chain were repeated by All Party Parliamentary Group for Dairy Farmers chairman, Daniel Kawczynski when he met to discuss the sector's parlous state with Defra Secretary of State, David Miliband on Wednesday, 11 October. More...

21 September 2006

• RABDF calls for all sector support for APPG for Dairy Farmers

Visitors to the Dairy Event this week were being urged to support the recently established All Party Parliamentary Group for Dairy Farmers by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers. Both farmers and members of the supply sector were asked to fill in a card requesting that their MP joins the group. More...

11 September 2006

• APPG chairman Daniel Kawczynski to visit Dairy Event

All Party Parliamentary Group for Dairy Farmers chairman, Daniel Kawczynski will be among the 12,000 visitors to Dairy Event 2006, on Wednesday 20 th September, the first of Europe's premier two day event to be held at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry and organised by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers. More...

20 July 2006

• OFT clarifies approach to dairy processing consolidation - All Party Parliamentary Group for Dairy Farmers addresses mergers issues

Industry perception is hindering further consolidation of the dairy sector required to improve its competitiveness, efficiency and marketing clout, not the Office of Fair Trading, according to its director of mergers, Simon Pritchard. However other issues regarding the current demise of the dairy sector are Parliament's responsibility and are out side the OFT's narrow remit of competition policy, he said. More...