Other Activities
Cattle Health Certification Standards - CHeCS
CHeCS is a self-regulatory body for Cattle Health Schemes in the UK and is administered by the RABDF. It is a non-trading organisation established by the British cattle industry for the control and eradication of non-statutory diseases by a set of standards to which all licensed cattle health schemes must adhere.
These standards ensure that herd health status in one scheme is equivalent to that of all other schemes in the UK. Close collaboration by CHeCS with other countries ensures that the UK licensed cattle health schemes are as good as any in the world.
It is owned by:
- British Cattle Veterinary Association
- Holstein UK
- National Beef Association
- National Cattle Association
For further information on CHeCS and licensed cattle health schemes click here
The Dairy Science Forum
The Dairy Science Forum is another industry group supported by the RABDF.
The Dairy Science Forum was established in 1974 and was originally known as the 3,000 gallon club. The name was changed to Dairy Science Forum some years later.
It is a long-established, ad hoc group of individuals, each well recognised and specialised in a particular segment of the industry. Membership is limited to about 40 people and is by invitation to ensure representation at an appropriate level across the breadth of the industry. Members hail from all over the UK including Northern Ireland.
It meets twice each year at places of excellence in research and development, technology and practice, with invited speakers to lead technical discussions on current topics.
Whilst not a political group, it can be described as a “ginger group”, and over recent years it has produced a number of strategy papers addressing industry challenges and distributed to key players in the industry
The objectives of the Forum include:
- Understanding and disseminating the contribution of research, development and extension to dairy science and practice,
- Defining future areas of activity that may enhance efficient productivity and improve the well-being of the cow to fortify a viable dairy industry.
More details on membership and activities can be found at www.dairyscienceforum.org/
and @DSFCows on Twitter.
European Projects
RABDF have been involved in several major European projects aimed and designed to benefit dairy farmers in the UK and throughout Europe. Dairying systems in Europe vary greatly from country to country and our involvements in these EU funded projects allow us to ensure that UK Dairy Farmers do not miss out on the opportunities available to our European partners and that any final products are applicable to modern dairy farming in the UK.