British dairy farmers are struggling to find people with the skills the need, a survey from Arla has found.
In the dairy co-operative’s seventh annual survey into the topic, farmers have warned that investing in education, skills and career pathways is now critical to protecting the nation’s future food supply.
The survey found almost 65% of farmers say better education and training is the most effective measure to attract more people into the industry.
At the same time 82% of farmers who have had vacancies report that very few or no applicants for the role have the right skills. This figure has not dropped below 80% in the past seven years.
“As farmers, we’re passionate about producing nutritious food, but none of that happens without people,” said Tim Dale, Arla farmer. “Finding skilled workers is becoming increasingly difficult, and it’s one of the biggest challenges facing farms today.
“Modern farming is innovative, progressive and involves multiple skills such as business, science and technology. We need to do more to showcase the exciting opportunities available and create clearer pathways into the sector.”
Beyond the farm across the wider supply chain, Arla’s own data shows it takes around 105 days to recruit engineers into the supply chain compared to an average of 58 days for other roles.
The dairy giant found that the skills gap was “significant”, adding the “need to address the challenge is clear”.
The business explained there was also a more pressing need to inspire young people into the food sector, with 48% of farmers being over the age of 55 and the average age of workers in the supply chain at 46, up from 40 in 2018.
“The food supply chain has been facing increasing pressure from workforce challenges for a number of years, and the latest data from our farmers shows the picture is not improving,” said Paul Dover, UK agriculture director at Arla Foods UK. “This is a challenge that will impact beyond the farm, if action isn’t taken.”
Dover added there was a need to “change perceptions of the sector and ensure attractiveness to expand our talent pool to bring many more young people into our industry”.
The concern from Arla is that the skills gap could have implications for the long-term resilience of British food production if left unaddressed, and said the solution lies in attracting, training and inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in food and farming.
“Securing the future of British food starts with securing people,” said Bas Padberg, MD of Arla Foods UK. “Behind every litre of milk and every meal on the table is a skilled workforce producing, processing and transporting food.
“If we want a resilient food system capable of feeding future generations, we must invest in the skills, education and pathways that will build the workforce of tomorrow.”
Arla has expanded its own efforts to engage young people, raise awareness of modern food and farming careers and support greater understanding of the skills needed for the future food system.
It has launched a new outreach programme for young people across the country, which Arla said would help address some of the key barriers across food and farming in the workforce and skills crisis.
The programme will reach more than 100 schools and 100,000 young people, showcasing the breadth of progressive and modern roles available in food production.
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