UK Dairy Day, an annual one-day event for the dairy sector, kicks off tomorrow (Wednesday, September 14) at the International Centre in Telford, Shropshire.
The event, which runs from 8:00a.m to 5:30p.m, is for anybody connected to the dairy industry as it provides an opportunity to network, share knowledge, learn and conduct business.
Numerous trade stands across the extensive internal and external exhibition areas at the event will be featured.
Exhibitors include feed manufacturers; animal health suppliers; vets; milk buyers; dairy and farm equipment suppliers; and professional service providers and charities.
UK Dairy Day is organised by Holstein UK with support from the Cattle Information Service, National Bovine Data Centre, the International Centre, Stagecraft UK and other key businesses within the industry.
Entry to the event is free, along with free car-parking and Wi-Fi.
Event timetable details
The event will commence at 8:00a.m, with the first competition being that of the trade stands. The full timetable is as follows:
- 8:00a.m – UK Dairy Day Opens;
- 8:30a.m – Trade stand competition judging commences;
- 9:00a.m – Cattle show judging commences, ‘Beneath the Black and White’ calf painting demonstration commences in the external trade stand area;
- 9:30a.m – Foot trimming, blocking and knife sharpening demonstrations commence in the external trade stand area. New product competition judging commences;
- 10:00a.m – Seminar presentations and industry panels commence on first floor;
- 10:20a.m – Grand Championship presentations for Dairy Shorthorns, Jerseys, Guernseys and Brown Swiss;
- 12:20p.m – Heifer Championship presentations for Ayrshires and Holsteins;
- 12:30p.m – Type classification and linear scoring demonstrations commence in the NBDC Breed Village in concourse by Hall 3;
- 12:40p.m – Presentation of 2022 Holstein UK Master Breeder Awards;
- 12:55p.m – Cattle show senior judging commences;
- 1:30p.m – Presentation of New Product Competition awards;
- 2:15p.m – Presentation of 2022 Holstein UK Premier Herd Competition Regional Winners and Overall Winner;
- 2:30p.m – Presentation of Trade Stand awards;
- 4:00p.m – Grand Championship presentations for Ayrshires and Holsteins;
- 5:30p.m – UK Dairy Day Closes – See you next year on Wednesday, September 13, 2023;
- 6:30p.m – Event breakdown commences.
Seminars and industry panels timetable
The seminar and industry panels on the first floor will begin at 10:00a.m, with Dr. Jessica Cooke from Volac International speaking on feed efficiencies and calf feeding.
The full timetable is as follows:
- 10:00a.m – Seminar: Feed Efficiencies; Not Cutting Corners on Calf Feeding by Dr. Jessica Cooke from Volac International;
- 10:30a.m – Panel: Sustainable Farms. Panellists: – John Powell, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra); John Allen, Kite Consulting; Paul Savage, Arla Foods; Mhairi Dawson, Barenbrug;
- 11:30a.m – Seminar: Feeding the Modern Dairy Cow by Adam Clay from NWF Agriculture;
- 12:00p.m – Panel: Sustainable Finance. Panellists: Oliver McEntyre, Barclays; Andrew Suddes, Promar; Phil Bicknell, CIEL;
- 1:00p.m – Seminar: Trends in UK dairy herds – performance, feed efficiency
and health by Kathryn Rowland, Kingshay; - 1:30p.m – Panel: Sustainable Employment. Panellists: Hugh Pocock, Cultura; Tess Howe, TIAH; Terry Pickthall, Harper Adams University; John Torrance, National Farmers’ Union (NFU);
- 2:20p.m – Seminar: Health and Welfare Benefits of Automatic Feeding Systems by
Derrick Davies, Vector Specialist, Lely Atlantic; - 2:45p.m – Panel: Sustainable Dairy Market. Panellists: Nic Parsons, The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB); James Osman, NFU.
UK Dairy Day event maps
UK Dairy Day will have a ground floor, for mainly competitions and presentations, and a first floor, which is where refreshments and industry panels will be located.
Event maps for both the ground floor and first floor can be viewed below.
Cattle show judges
In May of this year, the judging panel was finalised for selecting the best of the coloured breeds for the Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Dairy Shorthorn, Guernsey, Holstein and Jersey classes.
The judges and their classes are as follows:
- Ayrshire – Lynn Lee;
- Brown Swiss – Daniele Galbardi;
- Dairy Shorthorn – David Winnington;
- Guernsey – Laura Sales;
- Holstein – Adam Liddle;
- Jersey – Eddie Barrett.
‘Cycle for Sue’
Holstein UK CEO and event director, Sue Cope, passed away in May of this year. Cope was instrumental to the UK Dairy Day event since 2014.
In her memory, a ‘Cycle for Sue‘ event will take place during Dairy Day, fundraising for Brain Tumour research.
Participants will be cycling two spin bikes a total of 867 miles, which represents Land’s End to Dairy Day (307 miles) and from John O’Groats to Dairy Day (560 miles).
To participate, visit hall one and two foyers outside the organiser’s office at UK Dairy Day.
Grass Clinic
Unique to this year’s event, grass breeding specialist Barenbrug UK will be hosting the first ever ‘Grass Clinic’ at UK Dairy Day, encouraging farmers to be more ambitious about getting more from their grass by visiting the drop in clinic.
Barenburg’s agricultural manager, David Linton, said: “Cost-effective, sustainable, with benefits for soil health and biodiversity, good quality grass – whether grazed or conserved – is the cheapest feed for the dairy cow.
“When managed for maximum productivity, grass delivers astonishing levels of dry matter and energy. At grass, cows can convert around 85% of that energy into milk.
Grass really is the basis for profitable, sustainable, productive dairying.”
The Grass Clinic at the event on September 14, is available for anyone with a query about their grass to drop in and speak to Barenbrug’s grassland experts for insight and advice.
“The secret to good grassland is to ‘think crop’,” said Linton. “But grassland agronomy doesn’t have to be complicated. In just a few steps, underperforming grassland can quickly become good grassland.”
The clinic does not have to be booked and Barenburg’s team will be available all day at the stand near the main entrance.
