UK dairy shaken by worker crisis—food security at risk

A sweeping labour shortage in the UK’s dairy sector is raising alarms over national food security. Arla Foods, the country’s largest dairy cooperative, reports that 84% of dairy farmers now struggle to attract qualified applicants, up from 79% in 2021. Of those surveyed, nearly half (48.6%) find staff retention harder than before the pandemic, while only 5% feel conditions have improved.

The crisis is already impacting production—6% of farmers have reduced milk output, and a concerning 13% said they might exit the sector entirely within a year if the situation doesn't improve. Despite stable milk volumes overall, Arla’s membership has shrunk by about 300 over three years, from 2,100 to 1,900, while nearly 200 dairy producers quit the industry in the 12 months to April 2025, reducing the total number of UK farmers to 7,040 (AHDB figures).

Arla’s Managing Director, Bas Padberg, warns that rising costs and production constraints will eventually affect retail prices and supermarket supply. The cooperative is urging urgent action—namely partnerships between government, industry, and education sectors—to draw younger talent into dairy farming, with almost half the current farmers aged 55 or over.

Industry Insight:

For stakeholders—from cooperatives to policymakers—this signals a critical need to invest in workforce cultivation, farm automation, and targeted incentives to prevent further erosion of dairy capacity and supply resilience.

Source : Dairynews7x7 Aug 14th 2025 Read full story here