Worcestershire farmer Michael Oakes has been re-elected as chairman of the NFU National Dairy Board.
Mr Oakes, a tenant farmer who runs a closed herd of 180 pedigree Holsteins at Rednal near Birmingham, was first elected chairman in 2016.
Paul Tompkins, a dairy farmer from the Vale of York, was elected as the board’s new vice chairman.
Michael Oakes said: “I am delighted to have been re-elected chairman and grateful to fellow board members who have given me the opportunity to continue to shape NFU dairy policy through Brexit and beyond.
“Working alongside my new vice chairman Paul Tompkins and the wider board we will pull together to deliver clear aims and objectives ensuring the needs of NFU dairy members are well represented.
“Our immediate focus will be on the key issues in the Government’s Command Paper consultation that will help our dairy farmers adapt to post-Brexit demands and allow them to continue to provide a safe, nutritious and affordable supply of dairy products.
"Productivity, risk management and supply chain improvement are all areas where we can make a difference."
“If we get the support for dairy productivity right there is huge benefit for our sector. Government can support new initiatives to improve cow health, provide support for upgrading farm infrastructure (including cattle housing and slurry stores) and ensure the sharing of industry data so that we can measure productivity gains. Defra need to have a long term view as there will need to be a lot of investment in these areas to get them right. Improving dairy farm productivity will lead to a win –win solutions for farmers, for consumers and for the environment.
“We also need to encourage strong, collaborative relationships throughout the supply chain in order to improve economic stability and ensure more trust and transparency. Better milk contracts are one key area for this, and we will be submitting a full response to the Defra consultation on compulsory milk contracts, that’s due out later this month.
“Mandatory reporting of price and volume data from the whole supply chain is also vital in the dairy sector and it’s good to see this recognised in Defra’s response to the GCA and in the Command Paper. We’ve made it clear to Defra that we see Government’s role as collecting and auditing market data that will then allow risk management solutions such as insurance and a futures market to be developed by independent companies. Without Government approved data this can’t happen.”