New RABDF chairman elected
Dairy farmer Ian Macalpine has been elected the new chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers.
Mr Macalpine from Clitheroe, Lancashire, has been dairy farming for more than 30 years and succeeds David Cotton, who has completed a three-year term of office.
Mr Macalpine manages a 250-cow pedigree Jersey herd with a 80ha (196-acre) grassland unit featuring a zero grazing system.
During his term of office, he says he is looking forward to responding to the challenges the industry faces and representing the RABDF.
“I plan to make an active contribution to the Dairy Coalition, whose current focus is towards all processors agreeing to the voluntary code and its subsequent implementation along with achieving a fair milk price for all producers,” he explains. “I also fully intend to continue RABDF’s quest to reduce regulation, pursue its ongoing concern about country of origin labelling and look to develop new strategies to enable the next generation to enter a sustainable and profitable industry.”
The newly elected RABDF vice-chairman is Derrick Davies, who farms near Reading, where he manages two estates with 300 milking cows.
See what this year’s Livestock 2013 event has in store