The NFU are keen to promote the consumption of milk in schools and ensure dairy products remain affordable and accessible to young children to enable healthy diets and support future consumption trends.
This year farmers across the country are getting involved by going into schools or arranging farm visits to talk to school children about dairy farming and the importance of dairy in a balanced diet.
NFU Dairy Board Chairman Michael Oakes alongside NFU Vice President Guy Smith will be going into schools in Birmingham to talk dairy, in the South East on the Isle of Wight an NFU member will be hosting local island schools whilst in the North East National Dairy Board Appointee Paul Tompkins will be taking a cow into school for a "Milking Live" event. Farmers will also be going into schools across the East Midlands and Wales.
Get involved: Follow and tag @NFUTweets and @NFU_Dairy in your pictures using the #WSMD17
School Milk Survey:
Currently schools in England, Wales and Scotland can sign up to the School Milk Subsidy Scheme run by the RPA under the EU School Milk Scheme. Post-Brexit the UK government has committed to match any shortfall up to 2020 but longer-term prospects remain unclear.
To help inform lobbying efforts, the NFU have created a postcard survey for members to hand out to their local schools The postcard prompts schools to consider providing milk for their pupils, looks at current uptake and challenges of the EU scheme and assesses demand for a future UK scheme.
We are asking schools to complete the survey and either post a hard copy back to NFU HQ or fill in the survey online
All participating schools will have the opportunity of being sent food and farming related teaching resources.
For more information and other ways to get involved in World School Milk Day visit: The Dairy Council webpage