Why Dairy Farming Matters - The Facts

UK - The NFU has teamed up with EBLEX to launch the new campaign 'Why Farming Matters.' Co-inciding with the campaign a further report has been released that focuses on the trials and benefits of the dairy industry. A link to the report is provided below.
calendar icon 14 November 2007
clock icon 2 minute read
National Farmers Union

Why Dairy Farming Matters to the economy:

  • The total turnover of the British dairy industry is £6 billion, around 10% of total food and manufacturing output.
  • 50,000 farmers and farm workers are employed on dairy farms in the UK.
  • 34,000 more people work in the milk industry driving tankers, pasteurising milk and packing and distributing dairy products.

Why Dairy Farming Matters to the countryside and environment:

  • Dairy cattle grazing in fields are an important feature of the British countryside, one of our greatest national treasures, attracting one billion day trips a year.
  • Grazing animals are important to the vegetation structure of pasture land through their selective grazing, trampling and manure.
  • There are 500,000 km of hedgerows in England and Wales and farmers are devoting more time to maintain them than ever before.

Why Dairy Farming Matters to local communities

  • Food and drink is considered one of the main factors in defining regional identity.
  • Dairy farms provide employment for local communities.
  • A recent study across England and Wales showed that 75% of parish councils had at least one farmer member.

Why Dairy Farming Matters to the consumer:

  • UK dairy farmers produce some ten billion pints of milk, over 400,000 tonnes of cheese and 135,000 tonnes of butter every year.
  • British dairy products are produced to world-leading standards of animal health, welfare and food safety.
  • The industry has responded to changes in consumer tastes, and now produces over 700 different types of cheese, many of which are 'artisan' farmhouse cheeses.

Further Reading

       - Download the Why Dairy Farming Matters leaflet by clicking here.

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