Dairy industry facing up to future labour issues

Milk leaders to promote the sector in city schools

Britain’s milk leaders are planning to target inner city schools in their quest for the next generation of dairy farm labour.

But in order to attract new workers, a leading industry association believes the reputation of dairy farms will first have to improve.

A survey by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) found 56% of milk producers employ workers from the EU, and while the association wants to maintain access to this labour force in the short term, leaders say it is a mistake to rely so heavily on overseas workers in the future,

RABDF policy director Tim Brigstocke yesterday presented a report to Defra’s Access to Labour team which pointed out the UK dairy farming sector used permanent, skilled workers, and warned of “catastrophic” consequences if short-term access to overseas workers was not permitted.

“We want to look at how we can keep dairy farming from falling off a cliff edge while addressing the issues that turn off UK workers from seeking a career in the sector,” he said.

“Some of this will involve farmers and those in the supply chain taking a long hard look at why the reputation of dairy farming is as it is.

“RABDF is exploring specific activities it can undertake to promote dairy farming in a positive light and raise its profile to inner city schools and their subsequent careers advisers. It will also discuss these key areas at its business and policy conference at which farming minister George Eustice will speak.”

The paper calls for measures to ensure continued access to semi-skilled and skilled European labour is put in place to avoid disadvantaging the UK dairy sector and impacting on its economic viability.

There is room for improvement in dairy farming’s reputation.