Dear Members,

The Red Tractor Dairy Sector Board met on 13th November 2025 for a thoughtful and collaborative session, exploring key challenges and opportunities in the sector. Everyone in the room, producers, processors, and our retailer representatives brought their perspectives, making for a rich and engaging discussion.

Strategic direction

We discussed the new Red Tractor Dairy Strategy. The Board considered how the strategy could guide the sector in enhancing animal welfare, improving farm-level practices and meeting our sustainability goals. The strategy was seen as a way to unify the sector around clear objectives while remaining adaptable to future challenges and different requirements across the four nations.

Our environmental credentials

The Board explored the challenges posed by differing regulations and relationships with environmental regulators across the four nations of the UK. In Scotland, collaboration with farmers is generally positive, while in England, the Environment Agency is less engaged and deploying more inspectors. Wales presents a mixed picture, and Northern Ireland has invested heavily in soil and phosphate monitoring schemes.

Environmental sustainability was acknowledged as a complex area encompassing carbon reduction, water pollution, biodiversity, and soil health. The Dairy Roadmap was highlighted as the primary tool for delivering voluntary environmental improvements, with the potential to develop into standards in the future. The Board agreed that any environmental initiatives must be balanced with Red Tractor’s core priorities: animal health, welfare, and food safety.

Outcome-based assessments

The Board spent time discussing animal welfare and an outcome-based approach to assessments, stressing the importance of having well-trained assessors and consistent inspection practices. There was agreement that outcome measures could be expanded beyond the current welfare indicators. Members also discussed how additional ‘earned recognition’ schemes for retailers or aligned groups could help streamline assessments while still upholding the high standards the sector expects.

Making use of data

The Board discussed how Red Tractor could make the most of existing data, including that gathered as part of retailer/processor assessments.  The goal is to avoid duplication, reduce unnecessary burdens on farmers, and ensure that any data collected provides clear, practical benefits at the farm level. The Board agreed that simply gathering data is not enough; it must be analysed effectively and applied to inform better decision-making and support continuous improvement across the sector.

The conversation also highlighted the need for targeted investment in both analytical tools and resources, ensuring that Red Tractor can leverage available information efficiently and maximize its value for farmers, processors, and the wider industry.

Throughout the meeting, collaboration was emphasised as the key to progress. The Boord acknowledged that sustainability, welfare, and environmental challenges are complex and cannot be solved overnight. Ongoing engagement, careful prioritisation, and strategic use of resources were recognised as being essential.

Best regards

Tim Lock

Red Tractor Dairy Sector Chair

Red Tractor Dairy Board:

• Peter Dawson – Dairy UK
• Ian Harvey – NFU England and Wales
• Alice Miller – British Cattle Veterinary Association
• Murray Patrick – NFU Scotland
• Paul Dover – Processor
• Richard Collins – Processor
• Amy Jackson – TAC Chair
• Tom Atkins – Multiple Retailer
• Joseph Keating – BRC
• Mervyn Gordon – UFU
• Mark Brooking – Processor
• Neville Graham – Processor
• Jonathan Wilkinson – NFU England and Wales
• Paul Flanagan – AHDB