Hassle free robotic milking will encourage more into dairying - says new NFU chairman

Wednesday 31 March 2010

CUMBRIAN Farmer Russell Bowman has been elected as the new NFU North West Dairy Board Chairman.

Mr Bowman is 39-years-old and is married with three young children. He has worked Castlerigg Farm in Armathwaite, Carlisle in his own right for the last eight years and decided to start milking cows in the last three.

His herd of 80 black and white Holstein Friesian cows are milked robotically, a system Mr Bowman believes could encourage more young people to enter the dairy industry.

“I have three young boys who I love spending time with so the straight jacket of having to milk manually 14 times a week was by no means an attractive proposition for me,” said Mr Bowman.

“It’s far easier to manage your time when you milk robotically. Many young farmers have jobs off the farm contracting. With robots they could enter the dairy industry and continue with those jobs.”

A young family man himself, Mr Bowman wants to lead by example and prove young family farmers have got the time to actively get involved with the NFU.

Mr Bowman said: “I don’t want to be in the NFU to manage decline. I want to see the dairy industry thrive but it will only prosper if we all put our shoulder to it.

“As farmers we are all busy and don’t have much time but when the future of your industry is at stake, you have to find the time and get involved.”

Throughout his two years as NFU North West Dairy Board Chairman, Mr Bowman will be striving to instigate measures which will help get better milk contacts.

Mr Bowman added: “Farmers do have the power to force better contracts. Our problem is we don’t communicate with each other. When Dairy Farmers of Britain collapsed 52 producers signed contracts with Milk Link. I was one of them and had no idea who the others were.

“If 52 producers all stood together and asked for better terms and conditions from a contract then they’d have half a chance. For that reason I want to explore the possibility of finding out and publicising where farmers in the North West sell their milk too. Better milk contracts will only become a reality if farmers work collaboratively, share information and speak with one shared voice.”