Spotlight on Dairy Industry Issues

The next meeting of the NFU’s regional dairy board will be held in Northallerton next Thursday, giving local members the chance to update themselves on developments in the industry.

Chairman Martin Burtt, who farms at Glaisdale near Whitby, hopes the meeting will discuss a range of issues from the announced closure of the Dairy Farmers of Britain plant at Whitby to the success of the recent ‘Great Milk Debate’ run by local branches of the Women’s Institute in conjunction with the NFU.

The meeting will also hear from two guest speakers: William Prichard, dairy farmer and Nuffield Scholar from South West Wales, and Jonathan Skidmore, Catchment Sensitive Farming officer from the Environment Agency.

William Prichard is an innovative young dairy farmer who has increased his herd from 250 to more than 700 cows in recent years. He will be talking about the practical issues he has faced during this expansion and give his thoughts on the future of the dairy industry.

Jonathan Skidmore will talk about the Government’s Catchment Sensitive Farming initiative that aims to improve water quality by working in a practical way with farmers.

He will highlight some capital grants available to help farmers in the Ouse, Nidd and Swale, East Riding, Derwent and River Till catchments.

The meeting will be on Thursday May 31 at the Golden Lion in Northallerton. It will start at 7.30pm and is open to all NFU members.

(c) 2007 The Journal – Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.