A new series of business debates focusing on some of the hottest topics and relevant issues impacting on farming businesses within the livestock sector will be staged at the Dairy Event and Livestock Show held at The NEC, Birmingham on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 September.

Developed by the event’s organiser, the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, the topics scheduled include financing expansion, succession planning, cross compliance, joint venturing and energy sourcing options. The forum will also provide the platform for The Great Dairy Debate, featuring representatives from the dairy chain including NFUS’s Kenneth Campbell, First Milk’s Kate Allum, DairyUK’s Jim Begg and chaired by industry commentator, Ian Potter.

Fresh Start’s Alison Rickett will discuss the raft of emerging opportunities for new entrants to get in to dairy farming and how some of them can be combined with an exit route for existing producers, while the benefits of joint venture farming will be explained by Tony Evans of the Andersons Centre.

Avoiding the problems of cross compliance farm inspections will be discussed by Charles Mayson of Cross Compliance Solutions. The complexity of renewable options will be examined by Farm Energy’s Andrew Kneeshaw, while how to finance them along with other business expansion plans will be covered by Euryn Jones of Barclays, the event’s principal sponsor.

RABDF chief executive comments: Nick Everington. “Farming is a dynamic business with new opportunities and issues emerging virtually every day. We are pleased to introduce these 20 minute RABDF business debates to the event featuring topics designed to provide livestock producers with take home ideas and information to help facilitate their decision making.”