The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers has announced it will be rebranding and rescheduling the Dairy Event and Livestock Show. The annual two day event, held at the NEC in Birmingham will be called Livestock Incorporating Dairy Event from next year. The organisers say it will cater for a wider range of livestock producers and will be held during the first week in July from 2013 onwards.

The RSBDF said next year’s event will offer the same technical, business and financial information for the ruminant sector, but, in addition to catering for dairy, beef and sheep farmers, it will also welcome pig and poultry producers. The diversification is in response to an increasing number of attendees with other expertise and interests.

From 2013, Livestock will be staged annually on the first Wednesday and Thursday in July, which organisers say will be more in line with farmers’ buying decisions and will avoid overlapping with other major regional shows.

RABDF chief executive, Nick Everington commented, “We have organised and staged the UK’s leading event in the dairy sector for 136 years. Over the past 10 years, the number of UK dairy farmers has fallen by approximately 11,500 to 15,000 yet at the same time exhibitor numbers have increased by 70 per cent, from 280 to 480, and visitor numbers by 42 per cent to over 16,000 as we have widened the event’s appeal to not only beef and sheep farmers, but also to our dairy farmer visitors, almost 60 per cent of whom have additional livestock or arable enterprises.”

Mr Everington was keen to stress that the event would remain predominantly a ruminant event, with the principal attractions continuing next year and thereafter. He said, “the milking and genetic zones, foot trimming demonstrations and National All Breeds Show competitive classes will all remain key features.”