Shropshire dairy farmer Tim Downes has been elected chair of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF), taking over from Cumbria dairy farmer Robert Craig for a three-year term. Former vice chair Tim formally took up the role at the Association’s October...
Bovine TB and AHDB Lead Veterinary Science Expert, Sarah Tomlinson, has been named Dairy Industry Woman of the Year 2026, beating off stiff competition from one of the strongest fields of entries in the award’s history. Organised by Women in Dairy, an initiative of...
As dairy farmers nationwide face into rising costs caused by the drought, two organic dairy farmers describe their struggles weathering the heat this summer. East Midlands dairy farmer Wil Armitage, milking over 900 cows on an organic farm in Leicestershire, has...
From surplus to shortage Selfishly, I love a heatwave. Hand me a bottle of factor 30, an iced-latte and point me in the direction of the pool any day of the week and I’ll be happy. As a representative for dairy farmers, however, I can see why successive UK heatwaves...
Picture the scene. A hot August evening on a Staffordshire dairy farm, prime cuts sizzling on the barbecue, a crate of beers, 20 dairy farmers and plenty of straight talking. That was the vibe for the first meeting of RABDF’s new Entrepreneurs Club. The two-day event...
RABDF Graduate Policy Adviser, Emma Robinson reviews Defra’s big plans for farming. Earlier this year, I described the (then-to-be-published) Farming Roadmap as the ‘mothership’ of agricultural policies. This would be the document that would bring together the many...
Dairy farming featured several times during Parliamentary questions on the launch of the Government's new Farming Roadmap. Since this parliamentary debate, we have seen a new Prime Minister and yet another Defra reshuffle. New PM, Andy Burnham, made some swift changes...
RABDF Trustee and TB Advisory Service Technical Director, Sarah Tomlinson, on why the refreshed English bTB Strategy is right to put more power where it belongs: with farmers and their vets. Clarkson’s Farm did what policy papers rarely do: it showed the public what a...
Entries are now open for the 2026 RABDF NMR Gold Cup, celebrating excellence across the UK dairy sector. Organised by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) and sponsored by National Milk Records (NMR), the Gold Cup is one of the UK dairy industry’s...
Almost 1,000 dairy farmers and industry professionals visited Treveale Farm, near Ladock, Cornwall, on 30 June for the RABDF NMR Gold Cup Open Day, marking the first time a Cornish farm has won the prestigious award since the competition began in 1920. Hosted by T N...
The Launch of the 25-year Farming Roadmap RABDF has responded to the Government’s long-awaited Farming Roadmap 2050: Growing England’s Future, calling it an important opportunity to set a clear direction for the future of British agriculture. RABDF Chairman and...
The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has launched a dedicated Entrepreneurs Club to bring together former participants of its long-running Entrepreneurs in Dairying (EiD) programme and support ongoing development across the dairy sector. Building on...
