Digitalising Dairy and Supporting Dairy Farming and Rural Jobs in Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire

That the Parliament welcomes the publication of Digitalising Dairy: A Future Skills Needs Assessment for Productivity and Sustainability,  a report by the University of the West of Scotland on behalf of the Digital Dairy Chain; recognises the important contribution that dairy farming and the wider agricultural sector make to rural jobs, communities and the economy in Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire; notes that the UK dairy sector supports around 70,000 jobs and produces approximately 14 billion litres of milk each year, worth around £5.7 billion; understands that the report identifies significant workforce challenges, including labour and skills shortages, an ageing workforce, inconsistent access to training and the need for workforce capabilities to keep pace with technological change; notes that the increasingly technology-led nature of modern dairy farming can already be seen across the Scottish Borders, where robotic milking technology has been used in dairy production; considers that this demonstrates the importance of ensuring that the rural workforce has access to the technical, digital and practical skills required by an evolving industry; welcomes the work of Think Dairy Careers, which connects dairy farms with schools to give young people experience of modern careers in the sector; notes the reported interest from farms in the Borders in participating in this work and the potential for further engagement with young people and employers; recognises the opportunities that digitalisation, automation, robotics and data-led farming can provide to improve productivity, environmental performance and animal health and welfare while supporting skilled rural employment; notes the report’s recommendations on skills, qualifications, apprenticeships, training, careers visibility and workforce inclusion; believes that ensuring young people in Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire can access the skills, training and career pathways required by a modern dairy industry will be important to sustaining rural employment and the future resilience of farming communities, and commends dairy farmers and all those working in the dairy and agricultural sectors across the constituency for their contribution to food production, the rural economy and their local communities.