European farmers, a heat wave and trains

Last week, I was up north, travelling around Chester and Stafford. The first was the European Dairy Farmers Conference at Chester Racecourse, where farmers from around the EU and UK gathered together to assess both the UK’s place in European farming, and the overall status of the sector. As it has now been 10 years since the Brexit vote, it was a good time to assess what has occurred on that front. The trade outlook is not as dire as it used to be, and new options are emerging. It was also a good time to look at the end of the quota system in Europe, as was discussed.

As one speaker noted, there have been a series of black swan events over the last several years, ranging from a global pandemic to a Middle East conflict that seems to expand ever larger. Meanwhile, in the UK, the number of dairy farmers has dropped below 7,000, with one in five British farmers stepping away. It has not impacted the output, with more milk being produced from fewer cows, and the drive to ensure that every calf has a successful life, according to Susie Stannard of the AHDB.

It was also noted that investment is occurring in the British dairy system, and the UK remains a fantastic place to produce milk, with both consumers eager to consume it, and the climate continuing to be suitable for cows.

The protein trend shows no signs of abating, and most people like a bit of cheese or ice cream. Overall, it was a positive event, although the heat wave kept the animals at Chester Zoo from emerging for the barbecue on one of the evenings.

Dr Judith Bryans was unable to attend in person due to the ongoing heat wave and transport issues (I had gotten up there a couple of days earlier and still missed one of my trains due to the heat issues), but sent a video about Dairy UK‘s work and the ongoing Dairy Roadmap. We work around the weather!

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