British dairy farmers produce nutritious, farm-assured milk to world leading standards of quality, hygiene, welfare and environmental care.
In addition, dairy farming makes a vital contribution to the nation’s countryside, communities, economy and consumers. There are currently 13,500 dairy farmers in Great Britain, milking 1.6 million dairy cows and producing 11 billion litres of milk a year. Britain’s dairy farmers are committed, enterprising and incredibly hard-working.
The key issues facing the British dairy sector remain the core focus for the NFU Dairy Board. Recent work includes:
- NFU Milk Contracts campaign - aims to ensure milk contracts evolve to bring greater fairness to relationships between milk producers and processors
- Lobbying on reducing the impact of NVZ regulation on dairy farms
- Lobbying for reductions in the inspection and regulatory burden on dairy farms
- Fighting for successful outcomes for British dairy farmers in Europe
- Health and Welfare - working on bTB and Bluetongue and developing a Strategy for the Welfare of the Dairy Cow
- Challenging and responding to negative media attention on animal welfare, environmental and climate change issues
Meet the NFU Dairy Board
Chairman - Gwyn Jones
Gwyn was born into a farming family in North Wales and trained as an engineer with Rolls Royce, and at an engineering company in London, before returning to agriculture in Wales, studying at Coleg Meirion and Glynllifon College of Agriculture. He currently farms in partnership in West Sussex milking 750 cows on heavy weald clay and is also NFU Vice President, an NFU Council member, a member of NFU Council Governance Board, member of the Farm Animal Welfare Council and also vice-chairman of COPA Milk in Brussels.
Chairman, NFU Cymru Dairy - Mansel Raymond
Mansel was re-elected in December 2009. He farms 2,700 acres near Letterston in partnership with his twin brother Meurig and their wives. They have two dairy herds plus young stock and a herd of beef cattle. Arable cropping consists of winter barley and oilseed rape; spring oilseed rape and malting barley as well as potatoes. During the winter up to 2,000 store lambs are fattened. Mr Raymond has held a number of positions within the NFU including vice chair of the national NFU Milk Committee and chairman of the Welsh Milk Committee.
Martin Burtt
Martin Burtt farms 320 acres of grassland in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park near Whitby. Martin milks 150 cows plus followers and supplies First Milk. The father of triplet boys, Martin runs the farm with the help of one full time employee and his son Charles. A keen cricket fan, Martin also enjoys collecting antiquarian agricultural books in his spare time.
Mike Taylor
Mike farms 200 acres near Carnforth in Lancashire, milking a flying herd of 200 cows. Mike supplies Milk Link on a Lockerbie contract and enjoys shooting and travelling.
Andy Guy
Andy farms 78 hectares with his wife Sue at Thorney Abbey Farm near Southwell in Nottinghamshire, milking a closed herd of 100 pedigree Holsteins with 80 followers. Andy is heavily involved in environmental issues and employs the techniques of Integrated Farm Management. Thorney Abbey is a LEAF demonstration farm and hosts numerous visits. In his spare time Andy enjoys playing rugby.
Nigel Stacey
Nigel milks 180 cows in north Buckinghamshire in partnership with his wife Sarah. Nigel has been involved with dairy committees within the NFU for many years and has sat on the South East committee since its inception. He is also currently president of Buckinghamshire County Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, vice chairman of the governors of his local school and helps a village charity. Nigel enjoys all sport, occasionally picks up a hockey stick but hung up his rugby boots a long time ago. Nigel is also an avid Manchester United fan.
Ken Boyns - chief executive of DairyCo
Ken was appointed CEO of DairyCo in February 2007. Prior to this he headed up the MDC Datum department which he set up in 2001. Datum is now one of the foremost market information services for the UK's dairy industry. Ken graduated from Cambridge University and worked for NatWest Bank as an assistant agricultural research manager for a number of years before joining the MDC.
Richard Davis
Richard farms 300 acres in North Bedfordshire. He milks 120 cows, sells to First Milk and feeds his herd on a total mixed ration feeding system. The farm grows 90 acres of maize, 80 acres of wheat and the remaining land is down to grass. In addition to representing East Anglia on the NFU national dairy board, Richard is a director of First Milk and is on the board of DairyCo.
Martin Whell
Martin farms milks 330 cows on the family farm of 470 acres near Bodmin in Cornwall. He has two young children and is his spare time enjoys spending time with them, playing squash and cycling. Martin is also a past county chairman of Cornwall YFC.
Rob Harrison
Rob chairs the Next Generation Dairy Board. He is hugely passionate about the agricultural industry, especially the dairy sector. He manages a 500 acre dairy farm in Gloucestershire, milking 200 cows on a spring calving grass based system and supplies Freshways. He is currently vice chairman of the NFU South West Dairy Board, is involved with the local dairy discussion group and is a past NFYFC representative on the NFU Dairy Board and YFC Rural Affairs Committee.
Jeremy Burdett
Farming on 320 hectares of Weald land in mid-Sussex, Jeremy runs an organic herd of 220 dairy cows, rearing replacements and running around 100 beef cattle. The organic herd is block calved and milk is produced largely from forage. Jeremy is Chairman of the Chailey NFU branch, and sits on the membership committee of OMSCO s a Milk Link representative.
Mike Madders
Mike farms in a family partnership at Church Farm in Stafford, milking a 240-strong Cophale herd on 650 acres, the majority of which is arable. Mike has been chairman of the Staffordshire Grassland Society, has completed a Nuffield study into dairy cattle breeding, and is Staffordshire NFU county chairman.
Trevor Lloyd
Trevor was co-opted onto the NFU National Dairy Board in January 2009 and milks 220 pedigree Holsteins near Valley, on Anglesey. Trevor is currently a non-executive director of NMR plc, a board member of DairyCo and member of the North Wales Holstein Club and NFU Cymru Milk Board. He is a lifelong supporter and season ticket holder of Manchester United Football Club.
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