The visit, part of the NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship Scheme, provided parliamentarians with a comprehensive ‘field-to-fork’ insight into how the sector is supporting food security and the rural economy.
The MPs toured the Arla Innovation Farm near Princes Risborough before heading to Arla Foods's Aylesbury Dairy, which processes more than 1.75 billion pints of milk per year, using the latest robotics and automation.
“Providing valuable knowledge and information to our politicians on visits like this can go a long way.”
NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins
MPs who joined the NFU Food and Farming Fellowship scheme dairy tour included:
- Ben Goldsborough MP (Labour, South Norfolk).
- Maya Ellis MP (Labour, Ribble Valley).
- Josh Fenton-Glynn MP (Labour, Calder Valley).
- John Milne MP (Liberal Democrats, Horsham).
- Amanda Hack MP (Labour, North West Leicestershire).
‘Valuable knowledge’
NFU Deputy President Paul Tompkins, who joined the visit, said: “It’s great to get MPs out on farm and around a major processing facility so they have a better understanding of the importance of the dairy sector and the wider supply chain and its contribution to food production, the environment, jobs and rural communities.
“Providing valuable knowledge and information to our politicians on visits like this can go a long way in helping to create a more resilient, sustainable and profitable industry.”
Paul Dover, UK Agriculture Director, Arla Foods said: “This is the second year that we have supported the NFU Parliamentary Fellowship programme by hosting a visit on farm and to Arla Aylesbury.
“It is really valuable to showcase our role as the UK’s biggest agricultural co-operative and the commitment of our farmers and colleagues to underpin food security. We are looking forward to continuing to work with the Fellowship programme in the future.”
The Food and Farming Fellowship scheme was launched by the NFU in 2024 to showcase the farming industry and enable participating MPs to see first-hand how nutritious and affordable food gets from field to fork.
