Sustainable dairy farming programme

Professional development register Dairy Pro has reached an agreement with farmer-owned cooperative Arla in which Arla UK farmer members engaged in its Sustainable Dairy Farming Growing Together programme will be able to register all their development activity through the Dairy Pro scheme.

The programme involves a series of on-farm practical workshops exploring issues such as feeding, breeding and managing the future health of the herd. Each workshop is independently assessed and Dairy Pro points will be awarded to farmers attending the workshops, providing them with the opportunity to build an official training record.

Vicky Porteus, Arla’s senior manager for quality assurance and sustainability, says: “Partnering with Dairy Pro is a logical progression to give formal recognition to the training and development delivered, and convey the professional standards of our members to customers and consumers.

“In the past Arla farmers have been involved in various workshops and events. Making this part of a formal strategy means farmers gain the recognition they deserve for participating in the programme.”

Helen Brookes from Dairy Pro says: “We are very pleased to have Arla farmers as our first corporate members. It shows recognition for the advantages of the scheme, adds critical mass that will benefit all members, and gives a clear signal of support to all those already involved in the Dairy Pro initiative.

“It also shows that the dairy industry is catching up fast with other sectors. There has always been great expertise within the dairy sector, but Dairy Pro is now plugging skills gaps and showing the outside world just how serious we are about doing an excellent job for our consumers and wider society.”