Marketing Project on Reliance

Provision of a scientific knowledge transfer-base for 21st century dairy farming in the UK

A document for progress prepared by the Dairy Science Forum 2008

Executive Summary

• Milk and dairy products are nutritionally valuable parts of the human diet, the demand for which is set to grow, globally

• The UK dairy industry has been allowed to diminish dramatically in scale over the last decade under conventional market pressures; the recent upturn in milk prices provides some respite, but, without a clear national strategy to ensure its medium-term future, it remains very fragile.

• In the medium to long term, dairy production in the UK will be important to help ensure local food supply security and to contribute to a growing global demand for dairy products

• At present, and in the short term future, the UK dairy industry sits between a deteriorating past, and a promising future

• Over the last decade (or more) of decline, there has been a parallel loss of expertise, support skills, research investment and research infrastructure.

• Veterinary and other provision to ensure good health and welfare has weakened (as the industry scale to support viable practices has eroded)

• Research capacity in basic and applied sciences germane to genetics, nutrition and management techniques for the delivery of effective and innovative production systems needs to be maintained (and in some areas rebuilt)

• Future production systems will call for ever more intelligent approaches to the simultaneous achievement of quality systems that minimise environmental burdens, sustain high standards of health and welfare and deliver nutritionally valuable products into well organised food supply chains.

• Equipping farmers, their employees, their advisors and their supply industries with relevant skills to do this is a priority.

Contents:

Introduction

The Challenge

A background framework

Production...