ANY dairy farmer with an axe to grind should hot-tail it along to AgriScot a week on Wednesday, when some of the biggest names in the dairy sector will be answering farmers’ questions at a debate organised by the Scottish Dairy Hub.

Event chair Ken Rundle will be joined by First Milk chief executive Shelagh Hancock, NFUS vice president Gary Mitchell, AHDB dairy chair Gwyn Jones and independent dairy analyst Chris Walkland.

Stuart Martin, who manages the Scottish Dairy Hub, explained why it was important to feature such a high profile panel: “The Hub’s main job is to answer the questions of dairy farmers and we wanted to give them an opportunity to ask questions directly to industry figures they may hear about, but don’t have a direct line for, unlike the hub!

“I hope to see many dairy farmers, and others who work in the sector at the event. It should be a lively and exciting debate.”

Like the BBC programme Question Time, the organisers hope this session will tackle the issues most relevant to dairy farmers, with those farmers dictating the debate.

Mr Martin added: “We won’t have a set agenda, but will be asking dairy farmers to email questions to the Hub (info@scottishdairyhub.org.uk) or tweet using the hashtag #DairyHubQT, and we’ll then be able to put many of those questions directly to the panel. They can, of course, still get involved the old fashioned way, simply by coming along and putting their hand up.”

The event will run in seminar room 1 at AgriScot from 1.30pm – 2.30pm on November 15 and is free to attend.