‘Dairy investment should be in Revive and Thrive’
INVESTMENT in the Guernsey Dairy should be seen as an important part of the island’s Revive and Thrive strategy, Guernsey Farmers Association president Dave Cowley has said.
The States’ Trading Supervisory Board submitted its The Future Guernsey Dairy Project policy letter at the start of March, stating that up £25m. was needed to safeguard Guernsey’s diary production.
That would allow the dairy to be refurbished or rebuilt.
But Policy & Resources has now withdrawn its support for the project over concerns about the States’ finances and has called for the rest of the Assembly to vote against the plans.
Mr Cowley said the project would be a big boost for Guernsey's agricultural industry.
He noted that farming provides employment, both directly and in various support roles, such as veterinary services, mechanics, and at the Guernsey Dairy itself.
‘Since the island went into lockdown, healthcare staff and other frontline workers, like shop staff, have been singled out for praise, rightly so,’ he said.
‘At the same time, dairy farmers have gone largely unnoticed, but our lives have not changed.
‘Our cows didn’t know it was lockdown.
‘We’ve carried on working seven days a week, throughout the lockdown, making sure islanders had a constant supply of fresh milk and milk products. And so have all the people working in support roles.
‘It is critical now that it does not get forgotten as we move out of lockdown and begin to focus on recovery.
‘Dairy farming in Guernsey is part of our heritage, and we are a home to a world-renowned breed. The industry has shaped the rural character of the island, and helps maintain it to this day, with our traditional small fields and miles of lovely hedgerows.’
He said if Guernsey wanted to protect its agricultural land, the island needed a modern, fit for purpose dairy. Otherwise dairy farming in Guernsey will go into decline.
‘The current proposals would therefore be a tremendous boost to the industry, for decades to come,’ he said.
Nearly half the island, by area, is agricultural land. Of that total, around half is used by dairy farmers.
Mr Cowley said liquid milk is possibly the only fresh product that the island is self-sufficient in. The other main commercial crops that are grown locally would be potatoes and mushrooms.
‘With all the focus on environmental footprint, the island should be looking to become more self-sufficient, not less,’ he said.
‘So we have to start by protecting what we currently have.’
The island now has 14 active dairy farms, with around 1,500 cows.
