South West Devon MP visits Arla Foods to champion British dairy sector

The MP for South West Devon has visited the UK’s largest fresh milk plant to learn more about the British dairy sector.

Arla Foods UK, Britain’s biggest dairy company, processes around 3.5 billion litres of milk a year, with a turnover exceeding £2 billion.

As a cooperative, Arla is owned by 8,000 dairy farmers across Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the UK.

Arla also operates near Dartmoor, with their Taw Valley Creamery in South Weeke, North Tawton.

South West Devon MP, Rebecca Smith visited the Aylesbury site. 

The 70-acre site in Aylesbury was officially opened in February 2012 and employs hundreds of people, including apprentices.

On Friday, 7 February, MPs from all political parties visited Arla’s site in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, as part of the NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship Scheme.

Launched last year in partnership with sponsoring organisations ABP UK, Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), Arla Foods, Barfoots, British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), and Fareshare, the scheme showcases the industry and enables participating MPs to see first-hand how sustainable and affordable food makes its way from field to fork.

The group toured a nearby dairy farm, run by one of Arla’s farmer owners (like several in South West Devon), before heading to the processing site. 

There, they toured the facility, which uses cutting-edge technology and innovation, including renewable energy.

Reflecting on her visit, Rebecca Smith MP stated: “I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to tour Arla as part of the NFU's Food and Farming Fellowship Scheme.

“The NFU scheme does an amazing job of educating new MPs like me on the farming sector. The Arla visit exposed me to the cutting edge of the British dairy sector. There are more than 7,000 dairy farms across the UK, many in Devon.

“As the MP for South West Devon, I am committed to supporting our farmers. I regularly visit farms, including local Arla milk producers in the constituency, to hear their needs and will champion their vital role in feeding the nation for as long as I’m in Parliament.”

NFU dairy board chair Paul Tompkins emphasised the importance of MPs on the fellowship scheme visiting farms and seeing state-of-the-art milk processing plants. 

He also expressed thanks to Arla for hosting the event.

Paul Tompkins stated: “English and Welsh dairy farmers are committed to sustainable British dairy farming, and it was important for the MPs to visit farms and tour the Arla site.

“We are sure this helped give them a wider understanding of the importance of our farms, the dairy sector, and the wider supply chain, as well as its contribution to food production, the economy, jobs, communities, and the environment.

“Years of high input costs for feed, fertiliser, and fuel, along with the threat from changes to APR and BPR, underline the importance of engaging with our politicians to equip them with the knowledge needed to secure investment and growth for the future of British farming and the dairy sector.”

MPs on the NFU’s Food and Farming Fellowship Scheme will advocate for the farming industry, both in their constituencies and in Westminster, on key issues affecting the sector, which is the backbone of the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, food and drink, contributing over £146 billion to the economy.