Press release -
Arla training to receive accreditation in ground breaking new partnership
Arla farmer-owners in the UK taking part in Arla Foods’ sustainable dairy farming initiative, Growing Together, will be able to register all their development activity through the Dairy Pro Continuous Professional Development (CDP) Scheme, in a first-of-its-kind partnership.
Arla’s Growing Together is part of Arla’s European-wide sustainable dairy farming strategy and workshops cover key issues facing dairy farmers, including feeding, breeding and managing the future health of the herd. Under the new partnership each workshop will be independently assessed and Dairy Pro points will be awarded to farmers attending the workshops, providing them with the opportunity to build an official training record.
Growing Together was initiated by farmers during 2013 to assist with their ongoing effort to be more efficient and sustainable. . The initiative offers practical, farmer-sourced solutions to help Arla farmers operate efficient and commercially competitive farms through a series of on-farm practical workshops.
Vicky Porteus, Arla’s Senior Manager for Quality Assurance and Sustainability, said:
“Partnering with Dairy Pro is a logical progression to give formal recognition to the training and development delivered, and convey the professional standards of our members to customers and consumers.
“In the past Arla farmers have been involved in various workshops and events. Making this part of a formal strategy means farmers gain the recognition they deserve for participating in the programme.”
Helen Brookes, Dairy Pro said:
“We are very pleased to have Arla farmers as our first corporate members. It shows recognition for the advantages of the scheme, adds critical mass that will benefit all members, and gives a clear signal of support to all those already involved in the Dairy Pro initiative.
“It also shows that the dairy industry is catching up fast with other sectors. There has always been great expertise within the dairy sector, but Dairy Pro is now plugging skills gaps and showing the outside world just how serious we are about doing an excellent job for our consumers and wider society.”
John Allen, Kite Consulting, which is working with Arla to deliver the programme said:
“The workshops will be looking at sustainably increasing milk solids production, improving feed efficiency, gaining from genetics, and reducing antibiotic use.
“The programme is very practical, with each workshop focusing on a specific subject. Capturing farmer involvement in this activity and keeping a track of progress is critical. That’s why working with Dairy Pro is so important.”
Topics
Arla Foods is a global dairy company and co-operative owned by 13,500 dairy farmers circa 3,000 of whom are British.
Dating back to 1881, Arla’s purpose is to secure the highest value for its farmers’ milk, while creating opportunities for their growth. With production facilities in 11 countries and sales offices in a further 30, Arla is the world’s sixth largest dairy company and largest supplier of organic dairy products. Arla has a total of more than 18,000 colleagues and its products are sold under the well-known brands Arla®, Lurpak® and Castello® in more than 100 countries.
Arla Foods UK is the largest dairy company in the country and is home to leading dairy brands Anchor, Cravendale, and Lactofree. It has a turnover of £2.3 billion. As well as being number one in fresh liquid milk, butter, spreads and cream, Arla is the UK’s largest cheese manufacturer. It has also built the world’s largest fresh milk facility located at Aylesbury and has plans for it to be the first zero carbon site of its kind. The UK business has a team of approximately 4,000 colleagues located at its dairies, distribution centres and head office.
