County farmer: Why I hope the rejected super-dairy plan doesn't go away...
I have been a dairy farmer all my life and have been on this site in Blyton for 31 years with my brother.
We have 200 milking cows across 900 acres.
I was disappointed when it was announced Nocton Dairies Ltd were to withdraw their plans. They really need to go ahead with it, in my opinion as a dairy farmer.
But it was encouraging that the withdrawal was solely down to the objections from the Environment Agency, as it means they could find another site and have another go with it.
The British dairy industry is shrinking and if we carry on the way we are, in another 20 years there won't be any dairy farmers left.
With the supermarkets acting the way they are, the days of the family dairy farm are dying. Someone needs to be prepared to take up the commitment of a big dairy unit.
The Nocton Dairy would have been able to produce milk ten per cent faster than any other dairy and it would have been a real shot in the arm for the industry.
The other thing is, the Nocton Dairy could have been a test to see if the system would work in the UK.
The technology is imported from America where it is mainly used in drier climates. We don't yet know if it will work over here in the UK and the Nocton Dairy could have been a test.
If successful, we could have developed it across the UK and sites like the Nocton Dairy would have become the norm.
When I first heard about the dairy plans my first thought was the groundwater – its Lincoln's drinking water we're talking about.
The Environment Agency should have spoken up and said something sooner if they were going to object, rather than leaving it until the eleventh hour.
The Nocton Dairy would have been the future of British dairy farming, so hopefully Nocton Dairies Ltd can find another location.
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