European Dairy Farmers Congress 2026 will take place in Chester, UK

UK dairy farmers are being encouraged to participate in the 2026 European Dairy Farmers (EDF) Congress, which takes place in Cheshire 23-25 June 2026. The event has been organised in partnership with EDF by independent dairy specialists Kingshay – who are part of VetPartners – a group of veterinary practices and associated animal healthcare businesses.

It will be hosted in the UK for the first time since 2011 and offers dairy farmers an ideal opportunity to learn more about building resilience and positivity during a challenging time for the industry.

Under the title of, New Challenges, New Opportunities, the theme for 2026 is “Sustainable Dairy Matters” and delegates will learn how fellow dairy farmers across the world are using technology to improve efficiency and profitability.

Other topics covered will include ensuring a sustainable future from building healthy soils and optimising nutrient use to improving cow health, welfare and longevity.

Unlike many other events, EDF attracts a primarily farming audience. At the 2025 congress in Portugal, 67% of delegates were farmers, offering the opportunity to share ideas and experiences.

Richard Simpson, Kingshay development director and EDF scientific partner, says, “It should be a key diary date for all progressive farmers with a keen focus on their cost of production (CoP). Delegates will hear how forward-thinking farmers are utilising technology to revolutionise efficiency, an important consideration in light of current labour market challenges and pressures on resources,” he says.

“Reducing on-farm emissions is a driver for many farming businesses so there will be sessions on future-proofing dairy farms in ways that reduce waste, lower carbon footprints and add to the business’s bottom line.

“Monitoring economic sustainability is at the heart of EDF and the unique international CoP comparison includes over 300 individual dairy farms from across Europe, analysing the efficiencies of milk production systems across national borders.

“Delegates will be able to visit top class farms covering a range of milk production systems, for a deep dive into their stories and strategies, understanding the drivers within their CoP results,” Simpson adds.

The conference will be held at Chester Racecourse and will welcome around 350 visitors from across Europe. Networking is an important objective of EDF and, to facilitate this, the farm visits, workshops and conference sessions are complemented by a variety of social events, including a gala dinner in Chester Cathedral, plus a private evening barbecue at Chester Zoo.

Anders Christenson, a Swedish dairy farmer and joint-vice president of EDF, believes it will be of great benefit to fellow producers. He says, “Dairy farmers from different countries may farm differently but we all have shared challenges, such as the current milk price problem, so the congress is a great place to exchange ideas and look at dairy CoP from a global and European context.

“Last year I was one of 20 Swedish farmers who went to EDF congress and there is a big group of us aiming to go again this year. There is always something I can take home to think about using with our 270 head of Holstein cows in Southern Sweden.” Tickets are now available at www.dairyfarmer.net.