Crisis, what crisis? Dairy sector confidence as growth forecast
Forget the pessimism from only two years ago when streams of dairy farmers were leaving the industry. Forget uncertainty brought on by leaving Europe.
More than half the country’s dairy farmers who took part in a survey last week indicated they are planning to increase milk production – either by boosting numbers or by aiming for more milk from existing herds.
Over half (58 per cent) of British dairy farmers surveyed at the South West Dairy show by farming app business Herdwatch said they were committed to increasing milk production.
The percentage rose to 67 per cent when dairy farmers were asked if they planned to increase herd numbers. This was a huge vote of confidence at a time when much of farming’s future is hanging in the balance due to Brexit according to James Greevy of Herdwatch.
Another statistic showing the optimism currently in the dairy sector emerged when he said: “Despite a fair degree of uncertainty, 77 per cent of dairy farmers surveyed confirmed they were confident in their future post-brexit.”
When queried about whether this was a rogue poll, he said the level of confidence seemed to be shared across the country as, in a survey Herdwatch carried out at Dairy Day in Telford less than a month ago, some 88 per cent of dairy farmers polled stated they were confident in their future post-brexit.
At both shows, the stability of milk price and potential labour shortages were cited as the biggest concerns, along with worries about farm succession and how young people were going to enter the industry.