Hopes Dairy Employment Hub Will Make Recruiting and Managing Staff Easier for Farmers

A new dairy employment website designed to make the recruitment and management of staff easier has been launched.  

The Employment Hub developed by the RABDF in conjunction with Real Success contains practical resources farmers can download and use to manage employees.  

Resource examples include contract templates, job descriptions, employee handbooks and interview techniques. They are free for RABDF Members to download at rabdf.co.uk/members-area-locked/#employment .  Anyone wishing to access the resources can join RABDF for a small annual fee of £45.  

Commenting on the launch, RABDF Managing Director Matt Knight, said: "Recruiting good labour is something the dairy industry has historically struggled with. And with access to foreign labour now restricted, we must recruit the best labour from our domestic workforce. This all starts with understanding exactly what you are after from an employee and using an accurate job description to advertise the job." 

Mr Knight added: "Out of desperation, some farmers may be forced to employ unsuitable candidates due to a lack of interest. It's important to realise this can be a costly mistake. It is far better to take the time to advertise correctly and have a structured interview and onboarding process in place.   

"By working with Real Success, we hope these resources will make things easier for farmers, so they can download relevant documents and use them either in their entirety or as a basis to adapt specifically for their business." 

Paul Harris from Real Success added: "It's crucial farmers put people at the centre of their business and invest in them. If we recruit poorly, we retain poorly; that's where staff retention often goes wrong. 

“It’s easy to fall foul of employment legislation or to think Employment Contracts or Right to Work checks don’t apply to your farm – but they do.  

"We hope the resources will go some way to helping farmers recruit effectively, and develop the right people in their business," he added. 

Recruitment Advice at Dairy-Tech  

Get more tips and advice on recruitment success at Dairy-Tech on 7 April at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. At 12.35 pm on the Dairy Hub, expert Paul Harris will outline the six top secrets of successful recruitment and staff retention.   

About RABDF  

RABDF is the sole UK charity focussed on the unique needs of milk producers and the only dairy organisation representing farmers that holds a Royal Warrant.’ 

More information    

Sarah Alderton, farmgatemedia@outlook.com, 07739969198

SIX FINALISTS LINE UP FOR LONG-AWAITED RESULT OF GOLD CUP 2020

All visitors to Dairy-Tech  on April 7, 2022 are invited to the NMR stand at 4pm for the Gold Cup presentations

More than 18 months after being selected as finalists for the 2020 NMR RABDF Gold Cup, six top UK dairy farmers will find out who has been awarded the industry’s most prestigious award. The Gold Cup will be presented at Dairy-Tech 2022, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on Thursday April 7 on the NMR stand at 4pm.

The six 2020 Gold Cup finalists are:

• John & Rachel Downing, The Downing Partnership, Edenbridge, Kent.

• Jonathan Gibbins, Clyst Hydon, Cullompton, Devon.

• Mark Hoskins, Hoskins & Vickery, Hindon, Salisbury, Wiltshire.

• Joe Ives, W&P Ives, Herriard, Basingstoke, Hampshire.

• Mike Sainsbury, RP Sainsbury & Sons, Badminton, Gloucestershire.

• John Torrance, R Torrance & Son, Stapleford Abbotts, Essex.

Gold Cup judges – Somerset-based dairy farmer and former RABDF chairman Peter Alvis; Anglesey-based dairy farmer and NMR chairman Trevor Lloyd; and North Yorkshire-based dairy farmer and 2018 Gold Cup winner Philip Metcalfe – visited all six finalists’ farms before making their decision.

As well as the Gold Cup, four other awards will be made to qualifying herds at Dairy-Tech. These are:

• Chris May Memorial Award for the Gold Cup qualifying herd with the highest herd lifetime daily yield.

• NMR Silver Salver for the Holstein herd with the highest combined weight of fat and protein production.

• Lilyhill Cup for the Jersey herd with the highest combined weight of fat and protein production.

• Chairman’s Cup for breeds, except Holstein and Jersey, with the highest combined weight of fat and protein production.

Herds qualifying for the Gold Cup and related awards must have more than 100 animals with qualifying lactations in the milking herd; an average somatic cell count of 200,000 cells/ml or less, or 250,000 cells/ml for organic herds; and a minimum £PLI value specific to the breed, or minimum £SCI or £ACI value.

The Gold Cup competition was launched in 1920, meaning the 2020 award marks its 100th year.

ENDS

All visitors to Dairy-Tech 2022 are invited to the NMR stand at 4pm for the Gold Cup presentations on Thursday April 7.

More information from: 

Karen Wright, karen@karenwrightpr.com, 07860504047

About RABDF

RABDF is the sole UK charity focussed on the unique needs of milk producers. It is the only dairy organisation holding a Royal Warrant, with the influence and access to funding that brings. It is the organiser of the Dairy-Tech event.

About NMR

NMR is the leading supplier of milk recording services in the UK and carries out milk quality testing for payment purposes, as well as extensive disease testing and screening services.

RABDF Appoints Award-Winning Farmer as its First Female Chair on International Women’s Day

Award-winning Devon dairy farmer Di Wastenage has become the first female Chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF), succeeding Somerset farmer Peter Alvis.

At the March RABDF Chairman's Committee, Mrs Wastenage, previously RABDF's Vice Chairman, started her three-year tenure.

Mrs Wastenage is a director of her family's dairy farming business in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, and along with her husband Peter, was awarded Dairy Farmer and Farmers Weekly, Farmer of the Year in 2015. She also received an MBE in the Queen's 2021 New Year's Honours for her services to UK Agriculture. 

In her role as Vice Chairman at RABDF, she has contributed to a wide range of topics, including the environment, animal health and welfare, and encouraging young entrepreneurs and new entrants into agriculture.

She is an ambassador for women in farming. Through her role as Patron of Women in Dairy, she showcases the importance of female roles and the exciting opportunities for women in the sector.

Commenting on her role, Mrs Wastenage said: "I'm delighted to be RABDF Chairman and am thankful to Peter for handing over the Chairmanship to me in such a great position. Peter has done a sterling job over the last three year's having been instrumental during one of the most challenging times in the sector with Brexit, the pandemic and the phasing out of the Basic Payment Schemes.

"Peter's work in setting up the milk losses survey during the pandemic was instrumental in leading to the Government's Dairy Response Fund. His current work developing an emissions toolkit for farmers will also have a lasting legacy."

Commenting on her plans during the tenure, Mrs Wastenage added: "Over the next three years, we are going to see some significant changes in the dairy sector with the phasing out of basic payments, the arrival of the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMs) and possible regulations coming from the Clean Air Strategy, including the permitting of intensive beef and dairy farms. So, it's going to be vital to communicate with the government and the wider industry every step of the way to ensure we end up with practical measures that are not detrimental to the industry.

"Labour also remains a big issue and is something I will continue to focus on," she said.

Peter will continue to be involved in the Chairman's Committee. Cumbria dairy farmer Robert Craig takes over as Vice Chairman with a successor for his position expected to take place at the Association's AGM in the autumn.

Government Reveals Financial Help for Farmers to Improve Animal Health and Welfare

The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has welcomed news this week (22 February) that the Government will help fund improvements in the health and welfare of livestock, including fully-funded annual vet visits and grants to improve conditions for livestock.

Speaking at the NFU Conference yesterday, DEFRA's Secretary of State George Eustice revealed details of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway– a programme of financial support for farmers in the pig, cattle, sheep and poultry sectors, based around key animal health and welfare priorities.

These include reducing mastitis and lameness in dairy cattle, improving biosecurity to control pig diseases endemic to the UK and improving the feather cover of laying hens.

To help farming sectors make these improvements, Animal Health and Welfare Grants will be launched within the next year. These will help fund investments such as equipment and technology or larger projects like upgrading housing for dairy cattle to deliver improvements in lameness, cow comfort and calf mortality.

As part of the Pathway, the Government will initially offer cattle, sheep and pig farmers who are eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme funding for an annual visit from a vet of their choice. This will enable them to carry out diagnostic testing, review biosecurity and responsible use of medicines, and provide advice relating to the health and welfare of their animals. These visits will launch later this year and the offer will be further extended over time to other types of livestock farmers.

The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway will also include a disease eradication and control programme. This will allow farmers to apply for financial support to enable them to take measures to prevent and reduce endemic diseases affecting livestock, such as veterinary advice, vaccination, or improvements to on-farm management.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: "The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway is for those farmers who are in pursuit of higher profitability through better health outcomes, and it starts with an annual vet visit.

"Farmers will be able to have a vet of their choice, the family vet that they trust, and the Government will pay. That vet will be able to help the farmer put together a plan for improved animal health and improved profitability on their livestock holding."

Commenting on the Pathway's launch, RABDF Vice-Chairman Di Wastenage said: "The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway is a massive step in helping take the already high health and welfare status of our national herd to that next level.

"Endemic diseases and conditions such as lameness are a huge drain on farms. So, the bespoke reports farmers receive after their initial vet visit will set the foundations for which farmers and their vets can build on to improve the health of their livestock."

Mrs Wastenage added: "The Pathway demonstrates the Government's long-term commitment to drive animal health and welfare priorities. It's important as an industry we embrace this and recognise the difference this can make.

"Having a higher health national flock or herd will have a reduced need for veterinary medicines and particularly antibiotics. This means stock will be more efficient reducing the effect on the environment and it will also underpin our international reputation for good health and welfare, which will help bolster our export opportunities," said Ms Wastenage.

Further information on how livestock farmers can apply for the first step of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, the Annual Health and Welfare Review, will be shared in the Spring.

Dairy Industry Reacts to Sensationalist Claims on BBC Panorama Programme

The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) is disappointed at the sensationalist picture painted of the UK dairy industry during last night's (14th Feb) BBC Panorama programme, which showed several cases of animal abuse and questioned cow and calf welfare.  

The programme titled ‘A Cow's Life: The True Cost of Milk?’ detailed numerous cases of animal abuse on a Welsh dairy farm, which the RABDF is saddened by. It also highlighted lameness and the removal of calves from their mothers at birth.  

RABDF Managing Director Matt Knight said: "UK dairy farmers operate to some of the highest welfare standards in the world due to the robust and comprehensive legal frameworks protecting animal welfare alongside the credible quality assurance schemes and initiatives that exist. Cow welfare is at the heart of everything they do. Happy cows are productive cows, which is why it is so important.  

"Lameness was an issue highlighted on the programme with one vet suggesting up to 30% of cows expected to be lame in the UK. The industry is working hard to overcome lameness with diagnostic, early warning tools helping highlight the issues early. 

"Our farmers work long hours, often going weeks without a break to ensure the health and welfare of their cows are maintained. So, we are sad the BBC has chosen to highlight one farm where inexcusable abuse was witnessed, as this is not representative of our industry," he said.  

Mr Knight added: "While the inclusion of the Ethical Dairy in Scotland, whereby calves are kept with their mothers, showed high welfare, the system is not commercially viable for most dairy farmers, with the programme highlighting that most of the liquid milk was consumed by the calves. 

"The programme did, however, highlight the fact many farmers are losing money or making very little money, which is important as the value of milk is underestimated by the vast majority of consumers both in monetary and nutritional terms. It is time milk and dairy products are valued correctly," added Mr Knight.  

The UK's sales of dairy products continue to rise, with an extra 302 million litres of milk bought in 2021 compared to 2019. In 2021, cheese volumes increased by 13.2 per cent compared to 2019.  

Mr Knight added: "Our farms continue to improve the highest levels of welfare in the world and are vital in producing one of the most versatile products which form an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet."