With the two-year term of the NFU Dairy Board coming to an end it would have been natural for Board Chair Paul Tompkins to simply reflect on the challenges and achievements of 2024-26.
But after a brief discussion of the board’s priorities, Paul instead focused firmly upon the future of the sector and how to ensure the prosperity of dairy producers in the years ahead.
Paul identified price volatility and volume management as a significant issue, which was making long-term financial decisions on buildings, cows and debt hard to call.
The costs of investment, often tied to proposed regulations such as environmental permitting, were also hitting confidence and driving producers out of the sector.
Another concern was whether fair dealing regulations were really changing the culture in the supply chain, with Paul flagging contracts and behaviour that remained incompatible with the regulations.
Trade and global competition were also highlighted, with the need for ongoing trade negotiations to advance the UK dairy sector's interests.
Labour shortages and associated costs and questions around succession were also affecting many businesses, said Paul, an uncertainty compounded the vacuum of policy development around TB since the government announced the end of wildlife control, which he described as completely unforgivable with the economic and emotional toll that the disease inflicted upon farmers.
Asks from government and processors
From government, the dairy sector needs a stable and strategic, long-term regulatory and investment framework, he said, with a commitment to work on an industry-led option to environmental permitting.
It needs trade deals that grow exports without sacrificing UK standards or producers, along with strong fair-dealing rules, with an extended remit for the Agriculture Supply Chain Adjudicator to allow them to proactively investigate contractual compliance issues.
A TB Strategy refresh needs to be published swiftly, which enables farmers and their vets more control over reducing the prevalence of disease in their herds, he added.
Processors and retailers need to offer an honest partnership, transparent contracts and clear volume signals, along with a willingness to share risk as well as reward. Paul asked for greater farmer engagement to share contract examples, respond to surveys and identify regulatory pinch points – and for more farmers to take a serious look at collaborating in buying, marketing, labour and investment.
“This is a tough time, but the fundamentals are still on our side. People will keep consuming dairy,” he said. “Our diverse range of systems, climate, skills and standards gives us a strong platform. If we can secure a fair framework on regulation, trade and supply chain practice, UK dairy has every reason to be confident about the future.”
Shared concerns across regions
He was then joined by National Board Vice-chair and South Board Chair Ian Harvey, Midlands Board Chair Rob Davies, East Board Chair Matt Ford and North Board Chair Graham Young for a lively panel discussion which took in a number of issues, including milk oversupply, unfair contracts, AHDB marketing priorities and just-in-time supply chains.
TB continued to cause concerns, with questions around what strategies could replace the badger cull.
Paul highlighted the effectiveness of the cull and farmers’ hard work in reducing disease prevalence and both he and Ian flagged scientific developments on the horizon – although Paul warned that policy development was needed to occur at the same time to ensure that vets and farmers had the opportunity to identify infected animals sooner and be able to deal with them so they are not a disease burden upon the rest of the herd.
“This is a tough time, but the fundamentals are still on our side. People will keep consuming dairy,”
NFU Dairy Board Paul Tompkins
Proposed environmental permitting regulations
Environmental permitting was also a hot topic in the Q&A session, with Robert Davies questioning whether permitting would really deliver better outcomes than other innovations on the table, such as new nutrient stripping technologies.
From the audience, Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell addressed the audience, saying that if environmental permitting were introduced to dairy and livestock, it would be selective and reward good performance, on a different basis to the permitting system running in the pig and poultry sectors.
He also pledged that “there would be no need to go there if we could develop an industry initiative that would achieve the same results” but warned that the issue would have to be resolved quickly to make a difference.
Paul said the way dairy measured pollution was different from pigs and poultry, so “there was some nuance in those numbers”.
He agreed that dairy had a role to play in reducing pollution. “I welcome your view that there is a possibility that environmental permitting may not be mandated across all of our farms, and together we could work on an alternative,” he said.
Meet the speakers:
Robert Davies
NFU National Dairy Board member | Regional Dairy Board chair, midlands
He farms near Ross-on-Wye in a family partnership with his wife Rachel, his parents, and their son Harry.
The business is a mixed farm including arable, beef, sheep and poultry, alongside renewable energy generation through a slurry-only AD (anaerobic digestion) plant.
Plus, Robert has a herd of around 130 Holstein Friesian cows which are milked robotically and supplies into Arla on a dedicated Asda contract.
He is committed to driving positive change for dairy farmers, with strong interests in agri-environment, animal health and welfare, best practice, and reducing regulatory burden through collaboration.
Matt Ford
NFU National Dairy Board member | Regional Dairy Board chair, east | Ford Partners
Matt lives with his wife Liz and two children on their farm in East Sussex where they have a herd of 650 Holstein and Fleckvieh cows.
They run an autumn block calving system and supply into Arla through their Arla Care programme.
Following the announcement of the Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations, Matt is passionate about ensuring the regulation is utilised to drive meaningful change between milk buyers and dairy farmers.
Matt is also interested in ensuring farmers are supported in the increasing pressure to adopt environmentally friendly practices while ensuring their businesses are profitable and efficient through the use of data and benchmarking.
Ian Harvey
NFU National Dairy Board vice-chair | Regional Dairy Board chair, south
The cows are a mixture of Holstein-Friesians and pedigree Ayrshires.
A strong advocate of dairy producer organisations, Ian believes in the importance of farmer cooperation to improve the dairy supply chain and is keen to work with the NFU Dairy Board to promote good farmer-processor relations.
A strong advocate of dairy producer organisations, Ian, with Davidstow Creamery Direct, are pleased to be founding members of the Association of Dairy Producer Organisations. He believes in the importance of farmer co-operation to improve the dairy supply chain and has worked extensively within the NFU Dairy Board to promote representation.
Ian has served over six years on the AHDB Dairy Sector Council and is currently representing the NFU members on the Red Tractor Dairy Board.
Ian is invested in improving the environmental impact of the industry and has helped guide NFU focus groups navigate Defra proposals. On the home farm, extensive fencing to improve water quality and zero energy water capture and distribution has helped to achieve environmental objectives
Graham Young
NFU National Dairy Board member
The cows are milked using robotic milkers installed back in 2010.
Alongside his work with the NFU, Graham is also an Arla area chair and a Tesco representative. Key areas of interest include the promotion of school milk, improving animal health and creating better farmer/processors relationships.
Graham is passionate about educating consumers about food production and the benefits of including dairy in a healthy diet.
Paul Tompkins
NFU National Dairy Board chair
Not from a farming background, Paul worked in the financial sector before meeting his wife and joining the family dairy business.
Farming as part of a family partnership in the Vale of York, he combines hands‑on experience running a large, modern dairy business with more than a decade representing producers at national level.
His work has focused on championing a confident and sustainable future for UK farming, shaped by those who understand its realities on the ground.
As a long‑serving member of the NFU Dairy Board, Paul has helped navigate volatility in milk markets, environmental regulation and changing trade conditions, always arguing for policies that reward productive, resilient farm businesses.
Alongside his policy work, he is an active communicator, using media, events and on‑farm engagement to bridge the gap between farmers, industry and policymakers.
With two teenage children and as a keen runner, Paul is rooted in family, community and the countryside, bringing energy, clarity and determination to every role he undertakes.
Verity Richards
NFU chief dairy adviser
She spent three years working for the British Agriculture Bureau as a European policy adviser in Brussels, representing the UK Farming Unions through the Brexit transition and helping to build new trading relationships with the EU.
Re-joining the NFU's dairy team in the summer of 2022, Verity works closely with the National Dairy Board on areas such as exports and trade, air quality, farmer representation and helps to manage supply chain relationships.
She studied political science at Exeter University and grew up on a mixed arable and livestock farm on the Herefordshire border.
