Labour shortage creating major issues for dairy sector

More than half of UK dairy farmers are struggling to recruit staff, according to a survey of Arla producers.

The survey found that 58% of farm businesses were finding it harder to source workers than in 2019, despite respondents increasing pay by nearly a quarter during the past four years.

Almost 12% of farmers surveyed said staffing issues are making them consider leaving dairy farming altogether, while others said they are considering reducing herd numbers.

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Arla, the UK’s largest dairy co-operative, has called on government to help address the labour shortage and work with industry to encourage more workers into agriculture.

Paul Savage, Arla’s director of agriculture, said one of the biggest challenges is recruiting people into the industry is the preconceptions people have about dairy farming that are very different to the reality.

A four-point plan has been created by Arla for government including funding farm visits for schools, creating more apprenticeships for farming, educating careers advisers, and working with industry to produce a marketing campaign.

Dairy farmer Harry Davies said he had seen first-hand the problems a shortage of staff is creating and the pressure this puts on production costs.

“We need more people coming into dairy farming with the right skills and education,” he added.

Tiah research

Further research carried out by the Institute for Agriculture & Horticulture (Tiah) found that 42% of farmers were unwilling to employ staff without a background in agriculture.

Tess Howe, Tiah’s head of partnerships and membership, said: “To tackle this, we need structures in place not only to attract new entrants, but also to help employers support people as they establish their careers.

“We are pleased to see Arla taking the initiative in the dairy sector and look forward to working with them as part of the wider, cross-industry careers action plan that Tiah is co-ordinating to attract more people into farming and growing careers.”