Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is a significant entity within the United Kingdom's agricultural sector, with a pronounced impact on the dairy industry. Headquartered at Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, AHDB is a levy-funded organization collecting approximately £60 million annually from various stakeholders in the agricultural supply chain. This funding is strategically channeled into research, market development, and knowledge transfer to bolster the sector's strength and sustainability.

Significant Events

In 2024, AHDB observed a 4% increase in the sales of organic cow's milk during the 12 weeks leading up to May 18, followed by an additional 5% increase in the subsequent 12 weeks. This rise underscores the growing consumer demand for organic dairy products. In 2020, AHDB collaborated with the National Farmers' Union (NFU) to launch the GB Dairy Calf Strategy, aimed at improving dairy calf welfare across the UK.

In the first half of 2025, the UK saw a 20% surge in dairy exports, driven by global interest. AHDB was instrumental in promoting British dairy products internationally through initiatives like the UK Dairy Export Programme, which included a dairy export mission to the Middle East.

Company Plans

AHDB is dedicated to advancing the sustainability and productivity of the dairy sector. As part of the Dairy Roadmap steering group, AHDB focuses on maintaining competitiveness within the EU market by providing tools such as genomic evaluations and the Herd Genetic Report to help farmers optimize operations. Additionally, AHDB is engaged in the UK Dairy Carbon Network project to explore emission reduction opportunities.

The 'Let's Eat Balanced' campaign has been notably successful, generating £28 in retail sales for every £1 of levy invested, promoting the nutritional benefits of British dairy and sustainable farming practices. Future plans include enhancing British dairy exports, particularly to North America, emphasizing the heritage and provenance of their products. Their promotional efforts include partnerships with retailers such as Lulu Hypermarket for British Dairy Promotion in Kuwait.

AHDB is also piloting a new Farm Data Exchange project with 18 farm businesses to improve data control and sharing within the beef and dairy sectors.

Further Developments

AHDB's senior livestock analyst, Becky Smith, reported an increase in cull numbers due to declining milk prices, adding economic pressure on dairy farmers. AHDB oversees the AHDB rankings, which in April 2026 named Peak Powerhouse as the leading Holstein sire. Despite financial challenges, the UK achieved a milestone in milk production for the 2025/26 season. However, the number of UK dairy farms fell to 7,010 from 8,310 in 2020, with a decrease in dairy cow numbers to 1,590,000 as of April 2026, a 2% drop from April 2025.

AHDB forecasts a decline in British milk production to 12.91 billion liters for the 2026/27 dairy year. Milk deliveries in Ireland decreased by 3.4% in April 2026 compared to the previous year, highlighting challenges faced by British dairy farmers due to falling farmgate prices since August 2025. AHDB is organizing a Bluetongue meeting for farmers and manages a Bluetongue tracker and hotline.

AHDB's market update indicated divergent conditions in dairy commodities, with weakening cream and butter markets but strong demand for skimmed milk powder. The organization is actively supporting efforts to expand British dairy exports, focusing on specialty products such as traditional cheeses, butter, clotted cream, yogurt, and premium dairy ice cream. AHDB emphasizes creating trade routes into Mexico and the Pacific Rim.