PLANS to hold a national dairy show by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers have been cancelled, after reforms within the organisation and its activities.
The show attracted many people within the dairy industry, including entries for national breed shows for Brown Swiss and Ayrshires.
These changes will now include plans for a new technology and innovation-based dairy event, coined Dairy-Tech, which will be held in February, 2018, at Stoneleigh, and which will be held one month before the Dairy Expo, usually held at Carlisle, in March.
It was previously thought that RABDF would pair up with the UK Dairy Day, which usually takes place at Telford, in September, and host a joint event, and replace the association’s Livestock Event, but these plans were never confirmed.
From now, Dairy-Tech will be the RABDF’s annual exhibition and its chairman, Mike King, said: “Since reviewing the organisation’s activities, it has become clear that RABDF hasn’t been playing to its strengths or delivering sufficient depth.
“It didn’t evolve with the times and lost sight of its specialisms. Our revised strategy is to focus on where we can deliver genuine and sustained value, on our own, or in collaboration with others.
“We won’t just raise issues – we’ll follow them through.”
Managing director of RABDF, Matthew Knight, said a core part of the organisation’s activities moving forward would be influencing and lobbying of government and policymakers through its joint secretariat of the Dairy All-Party Parliamentary Group, royal associations, and its extensive contacts in the dairy supply chain.
Mr Knight said: “This is an area valued highly by those we consulted. We are in a strong position to gain industry feedback and publicise pressing issues such as provision of skilled dairy labour post-Brexit.
“Now we want to follow these through and as well as being part of the noise, be a part of the solution.
“This will be supported with a new policy conference that will take place in October in association with The Trehane Trust.”