Dairy farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit staff with some producers potentially being forced to leave the industry due to a lack of resource, a recent review has found.

Dairy-Tech organiser, The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, say the event will return as normal for 2022, taking place at Stoneleigh Park on Wednesday 2 February. The Covid pandemic forced the 2021 event to take the form of a two week virtual programme – a concept that hundreds of farmers hailed ‘of great value’ to their business.

Organisers of the dairy industry’s Gold Cup, NMR and RABDF, have re-scheduled the judging of finalists and the presentation of the 2020 award.

Dairy farmers employing EU citizens are being reminded to check they have applied to stay in the UK under the Settled Status Scheme to avoid becoming unlawfully resident and being deported.

Now the UK has left the European Union all EU Citizens must apply under the scheme by 30 June 2021 to continue to live and work in the country. Failure to do so could result in EU citizens being deported.

The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) is urging dairy producers to sign up for the pilot of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, one of three schemes that will make up the Environment Land Management Scheme (ELMS).

The Government is seeking ‘several hundred’ farmers to take part in the pilot with expressions of interest opening from Monday 15th March. The scheme will then be rolled out in 2022, which will initially be available to Basic Payment Scheme recipients.

RABDF has welcomed the news MP Heather Wheeler has been elected as the new Chair of the The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dairy after a six-year hiatus, succeeding MP Scott Mann.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dairy assembled for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) last week to elect a new Chair, following Scott Mann MP’s appointment as Government Whip and his stepping down from the role.

Dairy-Tech Online has been a resounding success with more than 6,500 delegates signing-up to the 11 sessions between 3-17 February.

The two-week-long event, which consisted of seminars, conferences, webinars, and practical demonstrations, welcomed speakers from across the world, who shared their expertise on everything from grazing and use of technology to overcoming mental health challenges.

The consumption of dairy products has boomed during the pandemic with experts cautiously optimistic about the future of the UK dairy market.

Speaking during the Dairy-Tech Online Dairy Market Overview session on Tuesday (16 February), Jonathan Dixon from Arla Foods, explained how more people working from home had resulted in a rise in dairy sales.