UK – Members of UK milk producer co-operatives the Milk Group and Zenith Milk have voted to merge their groups to become Dairy Farmers of Britain.

The merger is now expected to begin trading from 1 July. At a press conference last month, Dairy Farmers of Britain chief executive Chris Bird told ConnectingDairy news that the group would invest heavily in processing capacity.

In a statement, Dairy Farmers of Britain chairman David Stern said: “Our producers recognise the need for a new strategy to reverse the deepening industry crisis that threatens our business. They also recognise that responsibility for recovery lies in producers’ own hands.” The Milk Group already owns processing subsidiaries Nene Valley Foods and Lubborn Cheese.