Kite Consulting

This week, our hosts Will and Ben focus on Dairy Producer Organisations (DPOs) and their vital role in the dairy industry. With Ian Harvey, farmer, Director at Davidstow Creamery as well as a member of the NFU Dairy Board and former member of AHDB Dairy Sector Council, along with our own dairy market analyst, Chris Walkland. Starting the discussion prompted by a recent article from Chris in British Dairying Magazine, they discuss the role of DPO’s and the importance of collective representation for farmers. They discuss the limitations of DPOs, particularly highlighted in Chris’ article after 2 significant processors who do have DPO’s. have just given notice to a number of farmers. They also discuss the difference between DPOs and farmer boards, and the significance of FDOM (Fair Dealings Obligations Milk) over the next few months.Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.

Following Chris' report this week, Will and Ben are joined by Jukka Likitalo, Secretary General of Eucolait, and Kite Director John Allen to examine the European Commission's recently published Vision for Agriculture and Food document. Jukka elaborates on the Commission's perspective regarding the future of agriculture and food in Europe, highlighting key priority areas aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and appeal of the agri-food sector while ensuring long-term food security. He emphasises the implications for farmers, particularly in fostering a fairer supply chain for dairy and improving farmers' incomes. Additionally, Jukka and John discuss the influence of recent farmer protests in Europe on policy development, as well as the effects of the evolving geopolitical landscape and increasing trade tensions. They also address the differences between the EU and the UK post-Brexit, particularly concerning the loss in subsidies for dairy.Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.

This week after Chris’ report, Will and Ben are joined by Nick Evans, co-founder and Managing Director of Oxbury Bank and David Keiley from Kite, to discuss financing and sustainability. They focus on Oxbury’s new ‘transition facility,’ designed to offer finance at as low as 1% over base for farmers who are carbon footprinting & actively looking to improve their carbon credentials either via engagement with SFI or processor/retailer carbon reduction schemes. Nick explains the key features and qualifying criteria along with Oxbury’s motivation for providing the funding. David talks about the importance of access to finance for farmers, especially regarding working capital and stresses the need to collaborate across the supply chain to gather data, reduce carbon footprints and support the Net Zero goal.Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.

Will Evans, Becki Reay and Chris Walkland are joined this week by Betty Berning; Contributing Dairy Economist at Highground Dairy. After Chris' rather inert milk market update, they go on to discuss the economics of USA dairy production and what is driving low volumes we are currently seeing from the USA, including record low heifer inventory numbers and record high beef calf prices. They discuss further the significant investments seen in cheese production facilities and the effect of Trump tariffs on exports.Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.

After a successful day at Dairy Tech, Chris presents his usual market report. Will and Ben are joined by James Bolesworth, CEO of CRM Agricommodities, and Kite Consultant Amy Watson to discuss the effects of Trump's tariffs, particularly on agricultural commodities & feed markets. James updates on the market impact of tariffs on China since Trump's inauguration, focusing on Europe’s protein market and UK feed prices, with a reminder about the importance of supply and demand fundamentals. Amy talks about farmer and grower sentiment, milk-feed price ratios and advises farmers to manage feed risks amidst volatility while remaining positive about the long-term UK dairy outlook.Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.

After Chris’ report this week, Will and Ben are joined by Luis Cubel, Group Vice President and Managing Director of Arla Foods Ingredients to discuss the acquisition of the Volac Whey nutrition business last year. Luis gives an overview of why AFI was interested in Volac, with a change in consumer habits and the growth in popularity of Whey protein and where Volac sits in the context of other investments. He discusses what products they will be marketing, plans for investment in the site and what this means for current Arla farmers, especially in terms of adding value to the Arla business.Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.

After Chris’ report this week, Will & Ben are joined by podcast regulars, Erik Elgersma, founder & director of Strategic Analysis Services BV & Kite Director John Allen to discuss US & global dairy following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the USA. Erik & John discuss if there is any predictive value in what Trump did in his first term in relation to how the current term might impact US dairy. They consider short to medium term outlook, with particular reference to the influence of the US Senate, with a strong agricultural constituency behind which could not only impact economic policy, but also in relation to foreign labour. They also discuss the impact on global power dynamics & the potential to have a negative impact on trust where exports are concerned, with the opportunities this could provide to Europe.Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.

We are starting the year as we mean to go on, our first podcast of 2025 is a positive one; featuring the milk market report from Chris and discussing the exciting developments from Muller. Ben is joined by Rob Hutchison, CEO Muller Milk and Ingredients, Kite’s Becki Reay and Chris Walkland as they debrief on the Semex conference earlier this week and discuss what’s going on at Muller in more detail. It is only 10 weeks since the acquisition of Yew Tree by Muller but Rob summarises what they’ve been doing since then and the significance of this investment strategically, including how this fits in with their existing network of dairies and the opportunities it brings, not only to improve efficiencies but the potential market access and commercial benefits. Rob & Becki go on to discuss the launch of Muller’s innovative Fast-Track programme, which will bring together real time data measurement and monitoring of key inputs and outputs on farm to further drive efficiency and deliver commercial benefit to the farm and accelerated carbon reduction to Muller. As well as a broader conversation about the commercial incentive to reduce carbon, how that looks at farm level as well as consumers. Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.

In the final podcast episode of the year, we are joined by Dale Farm’s Group Chief Executive, Nick Whelan and podcast producer Becki Reay. Following on from Chris’ milk market report we discuss Dale Farm, the largest UK only farmer-owned dairy co-op. Located in Northern Ireland, Dale Farm has recently invested £70 million in their cheddar processing facility at Dunmanbridge. The podcast team discuss recent changes in the Dale Farm business, investments, challenges and opportunities for the dairy industry.Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.