Ian helps to run a family farm partnership milking 180 cows with 180 followers on approximately 400 acres in Cornwall.
He has previously served as vice-chair of the NFU national Dairy Board and chair of the South regional Dairy Board.
He said “I am honoured and privileged to follow in the footsteps of Paul Tompkins and others before him as chair of the national Dairy Board.
“The seriousness of food security and the resulting rise in production costs should not be taken lightly.”
NFU Dairy Board Chair Ian Harvey
“We are entering a very difficult period globally, the likes of which none of us have seen in our lifetimes. The seriousness of food security and the resulting rise in production costs should not be taken lightly.
“This board will be visible and will fully support our members with the all pressures that will bring.”
An industry under pressure
Ian will be supported by vice-chair Rob Davies. Rob farms in a family partnership in Hereford and has previously served as chair of the Midlands regional Dairy Board.
He said: “It’s a great honour to have been elected vice-chair and I’m excited to roll my sleeves up and represent members with a lot of work to get through over the next two years.
“Our industry is under pressure currently; it’s not an industry in decline but one very much under pressure. But the future is bright, and all the fundamentals are looking positive. That’s because we live in a temperate climate, and we are very well placed to convert grass into protein and supply the growing demand for high quality dairy products.”
