The Farmers Mart Jun/Jul 2016 - Issue 46 | Page 51

Cattle MILK MARKETING CHAMPION CONFIRMED AS SPEAKER AT TREHANE DINNER Brexit - NBA statement following eu referendum result »»CHRIS MALLON, CHIEF Executive of the National Beef Association, made the following statement following the result of the EU referendum. “The Minister must now work on preparing agriculture for life out of the EU which is a challenge he must rise to. The government need to commit to securing tarifffree access to the EU for all UK agricultural products, to ensure the sustainability of the rural economy. We need the UK government to replace all trade agreements that currently exist between the EU and other nations before the UK exits, and give immediate reassurances that the level of CAP payments, which farmers are dependent, on will continue through to the end of 2020, with other contracts also being honoured. “There is no precedent for a member state leaving the EU; however, the rules on how to exit were set out in the Treaty of Lisbon. The Prime Minister has stated he will not start the exit procedure before he stands down and once notice has been given to the EU there is a maximum of two years for an agreement to be ratified. The EU budget runs to 2020 including CAP and it is unlikely we will have left before then. “The referendum result has changed nothing immediately concerning the need to comply with regulations that originate at EU level. It may be that once the UK has left the EU, there is a discussion over reducing regulations and red tape, but for now the status quo remains. The UK will remain a member of the EU and the CAP until the exit date and so basic payments will continue until we leave the EU.” »»SANDY WILKIE, BUSINESS relationship and development director at Müller Milk & Ingredients, has been confirmed as guest speaker at this year’s Trehane Trust dinner, to be held on Tuesday 5 July – the eve of the Livestock Event – at the NEC, Birmingham. Mr Wilkie has enjoyed a long and successful career in the dairy industry, including roles as current chairman of the Dairy Council and immediate past chairman of the European Dairy Association’s Liquid Milk Group. But it’s in his capacity as chairman of the Milk Marketing Forum that this charismatic industry figure has gained most profile, driving successful generic milk advertising campaigns such as The White Stuff and Milk Moustache, which have featured a swath of high profile celebrities. This will be the second year The Trehane Trust, whose main aim is to encourage research and education into dairying, has hosted its annual dinner the night before the start of the Livestock Event at the NEC. While the event started as an opportunity for Nuffield Scholars sponsored by The Trehane Trust to meet each year, the event has now been opened to the whole dairy industry. Trehane Trust chairman Professor Wynne Jones says: “We are delighted Sandy has agreed to speak at the dinner, and at a time when dairy farming is facing considerable challenges. Thanks to his experience and deep knowledge of the sector, we are assured of insightful commentary as well as, I’m sure, some tough messages! “We hope the timing and location of the dinner encourages those from the wider industry to come along to hear Sandy speak, enjoy a superb dinner, and take the chance to invest in some useful networking while attending the Livestock Event.” The dinner will be held in The Gallery Restaurant at the NEC, with drinks at 6pm for a 6.30pm start. All are welcome, with tickets available at a cost of £69.98 per person inclusive of VAT; these can be purchased on a first-come, first-served basis by contacting Trehane Trust secretary Paula Golby on [email protected] or 0845 458 2711. www.farmers-mart.co.uk Jun/Jul 2016 51