Robert Craig, from Armathwaite, has been appointed chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, taking over from Devon dairy farmer Di Wastenage.
It was at the association’s October chairman’s meeting, held on Tuesday, that Robert, the previous vice-chairman, started his three-year term at the helm of the only UK charity focused on the needs of milk producers.
He is a third generation dairy farmer and operates three dairy farming businesses across Cumbria and Northumberland, milking 1,500 spring and autumn calving cows. A past chairman of Cumbria NFU, he maintains an interest in local and national politics, both on and off the farm.
He is also a non-executive director of First Milk and is currently the co-op’s vice-chairman. All three of his businesses supply First Milk, and he represents the co-op at Dairy UK, where he chairs the Dairy UK farmer forum.
Robert was a Nuffield Scholar in 2012 and has worked closely with the Sustainable Food Trust since his travels at that time, particularly on the Global Farm Metric project.
As RABDF vice-chairman he represented the association on the Ruminant Health and Welfare steering group, helping inform and guide on general dairy issues and often acting as spokesman on wider press matters. He has been instrumental in delivering a dairy labour round table.
Robert said: “I am delighted to be the RABDF chairman and am thankful to Di for the work she has done during her term and for leaving the RABDF in such a strong position.
“As well as building on the foundations laid out by Di, there are some exciting projects that we hope to develop as an association to help overcome labour shortages in the dairy sector and also to do more to promote the industry, particularly to the next generation.
“Undoubtedly there will also be a focus on the here and now and the impact milk price cuts are having on farmers and ways in which we, as an association, can help support our members as the pinch is felt.”
