Dairy growth strategy presented to MPs

Farm leaders are seeking to engage MPs with their plans to boost dairy production in the UK with a reception at the House of Commons in Westminster.

Dairy industry leaders and politicians will gather on Monday (30 June) to discuss Leading the Way, the UK dairy industry’s sustainable growth plan, at an event hosted by Devon MP and farming champion Neil Parish.

The document was first unveiled to the farming industry in December 2013 .

The Leading the Way plan states that an estimated 2.5% annual growth in global demand for dairy products over the next 10 years will boost UK dairy production through increased exports and imports substitution.

See more: Farmers to get behind diary growth strategy

The plan sets out a vision for profitable growth of the UK dairy industry based on economic, social and environmental sustainability and focuses on the capacity of and need for, the UK dairy sector to be competitive in a global context, through scale, innovation and efficiency.

Farm minister George Eustice said: “I congratulate the dairy industry for putting together this strategy, which will make an important contribution to the development of a long-term plan for the sector.

“There is huge potential for our dairy producers with growing international demand and a global reputation that is second to none.

“The government wants to support growth in the industry and ensure that we can both displace more imports and expand our exports.”

Rob Harrison, dairy farmer and NFU dairy board chairman, said: “By pulling together the NFU’s vision Compete to Grow, the Dairy UK White Paper and the Dairy 2020 sustainability initiative, this project unites and consolidates the efforts of an industry that clearly has its eye’s collectively on the prize – to grow our output and be the best dairy industry in the world.”