A LEADING dairy organisation is to press ahead and draw up a national strategic plan for the sector.

Lyndon Edwards, chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, said the UK was unusual among major dairying countries in not having such a plan.

Speaking at the National Dairy Event, he said it had been hoped a plan could be agreed by the whole sector and a sustainable dairy food chain developed to encourage dynamism and diversity.

He said: “After a plethora of meetings with the key industry bodies, no consensus was agreed.

“RABDF feels that such a plan is essential and therefore has agreed to take on the mantle itself.”

It will produce a common UK policy document setting out the challenges and opportunities. It will include a set of aims and objectives with clear approaches to implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

“We hope the plan will instil in dairy farmers a new spirit of optimism and stop the continuing decline in producer numbers,” said Mr Edwards.

“Furthermore, it will be designed to avoid any distortion of future policy documents, harmonise decisions made by the four constituent parts of the UK and avoid the implications of individual approaches being taken, for example to TB control and responsibility and cost sharing of disease.”

He promised a progress report early next year.

Mr Edwards believed there was still room for greater co-operation between the various parts of the sector, which would also give it a stronger voice.

“I continue to believe there is room for further consolidation as well as innovation within the processing sector, particularly among the farmer co-ops,” said Mr Edwards.

“Cost savings and efficiencies have been made by the co-ops in the last couple of years However, I believe there is certainly room for more and also greater co-operation between them.

“I also believe there are major inefficiencies between farmerowned and run organisations within the supply industry. However, they are not insurmountable.”

Mr Edwards repeated RABDF’s concern about the replacement of David Curry, Ripon and Skipton MP, as independent chairman of Dairy UK, which was set up to be a voice for the whole dairy industry.

In a surprise move, Mr Curry has been replaced by Mark Allen, chief executive of Dairy Crest.

The National Farmers’ Union immediately resigned from the body saying the appointment of a processor as opposed to an independent chairman meant it had reverted back to being a body representing processors.

Peter Kendall, NFU president, said Mr Curry had given the sector “credibility and presence” politically.

“He has also ensured that Dairy UK has not been seen as representing one part or another of the dairy industry,” he said.

“To move away from an independent- led association is, in our opinion, naive and short-sighted.”

Mr Edwards said Sir Don Curry, the previous chairman, and Mr Curry had brought “unique and independent expertise” to the table.

“Electing a representative from the processing sector goes against that spirit of working for the best for all parties, both farmers and processors,” he said.

Dairy UK should think very carefully about its future decision making – it was in danger of “retrenching”

into a processors organisation.

Mr Edwards said: “The decision does not bode well for the dairy farming sector at a time when it has never been more important to work together.

“While I believe that the new chair should be given the benefit of the doubt, it is over to members of Dairy UK’s Dairy Farmers’ Forum, to get together, strengthen their representations and ensure those views are taken in to account by Dairy UK’s board.”

On bluetongue, he called for a voluntary ban on all imports of cattle and sheep from bluetongue restricted zones throughout Europe.

Mr Edwards said: “Live imports are completely unnecessary, and here Russian roulette springs to mind.

“If farmers want to improve their herd or flock genetics, then they could import semen or embryos.

“In fact, I would go further and urge all farmers insisting on importing livestock to make thorough checks on herd or flock health and welfare status before they confirm their order.”