A last-ditch attempt to get dairy workers included on the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) Shortage Occupation List (SOL) has been rejected following a four-month consultation.
The news released 29/09/2020 revealed occupations should as butchers, bricklayers and welders would be added to the list, but that farmers would not.
DEFRA are required under UK law to complete an annual survey for the presence of bluetongue virus. APHA complete this survey in the areas of the country most at risk of having been exposed to potentially infected midges blown over from mainland Europe. This survey is part of the evidence that DEFRA use to demonstrate that UK livestock remains free from bluetongue.
As bluetongue continues to circulate in France and Belgium, the modelling completed so far indicates that the areas of UK most at risk of having had incursions of infected midges are Suffolk, Kent, Essex, Hampshire (incl. Isle of Wight), East Sussex, West Sussex and Dorset.
If there is one thing that COVID-19 has taught us it is that we can stay connected efficiently by using technology. It has been a lifesaver for many businesses and organisations and at RABDF it is something we are using on an almost daily basis.
Earlier in the year we took the decision to move the annual Women in Dairy Conference online. We have hosted webinars before, but this will be the first time we have held a full one-day conference virtually.
We have a great line-up of speakers and already have a good number of delegates signed up, so it is on track to be a success.
At long last, there seems to be some optimism in the dairy sector with many processors announcing milk price increases, global trade for dairy products on the up and solid financial performance being reported from processors and co-operatives.
We certainly are feeling the improved confidence at Dairy House as we officially launched Dairy-Tech 2021 at the start of this week (27 July). In just a few days we have seen several large exhibitors secure their stand space which shows the commitment they have to the dairy sector and the event.
Milk Your Moments is a campaign funded by AHDB, Dairy UK, Defra, Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to address the fall in milk sales due to the closure of foodservice caused by the coronavirus outbreak. They have teamed up with mental health charity MIND to highlight the importance of human connections and are encouraging open conversations with others to make a positive impact on people’s mental health.
As we pass the halfway point of the year it finally feels like we are turning a corner and the lush green grass is on the horizon. Not only are our lives starting to return to the ‘new normal’ as social distancing measure ease, but we are also cautiously optimistic about milk prices with several processors reporting milk price rises in the past couple of weeks.
