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Dairy Student of the Year 'optimistic' over industry's future

Posted Yesterday

Henry Gibson recieves his prize at Dairy-Tech 2026: picture reproduced with thanks from RABDF

A scholar named 2026’s Dairy Student of the Year is optimistic ‘there will still be strong opportunities’ for careers in the industry as it develops in the coming decade.

Henry Gibson, a BSc (Hons) Agriculture student at ÎÞÂ붯»­, was named the 2026 winner of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers’ award at this year’s Dairy-Tech show.

The competition, run by Dairy-Tech organiser the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF), is designed to highlight challenges faced by the dairy industry while identifying rising stars and future industry leaders.

Speaking after winning the award, Henry said: “Hearing my name read out was quite surreal. I felt really proud and a bit overwhelmed, especially knowing the standard of the other finalists. It means a lot to have the hard work I’ve put into my studies and the dairy sector recognised, and I’m very grateful to the RABDF, the judges and everyone who has supported me along the way.”

His win is the 11th time in the past 12 years that a ÎÞÂ붯»­ student has secured the award and he was presented with a £750 cheque and trophy at the event.

Originally from Honiton, Devon, Henry was selected following a rigorous judging process, which included completing a detailed case study appraisal before undertaking a presentation to an expert judging panel at the Farmers’ Club in London.

Finalists were asked to set out their vision for where the dairy industry will be in 10 years’ time, identifying key challenges, opportunities and future scale.

Talking about his views of where the sector will be in a decade, Henry added: “I think the dairy industry will be leaner, more data-driven and even more focused on sustainability.

“We’ll see greater use of technology, genetics and precision feeding to improve efficiency while lowering emissions, and there will be increasing pressure to demonstrate high standards of welfare and environmental performance.

“There may be fewer farms, but those that remain will be highly professional businesses, and I’m optimistic there will still be strong opportunities for skilled, motivated people to build a career in dairy.”

This year’s awards judging panel was made up of RABDF Chairman Robert Craig, Richard Greasley of ForFarmers, and Kaia Hillsmith from Kite, part of the Asterra Group.

Mr Craig said: “The competition has become highly regarded across the dairy industry due to the calibre of students entering each year.

“The optimism and enthusiasm shown by applicants is incredibly encouraging for the future of the sector. It was particularly pleasing to see students from a wide range of disciplines, from agriculture to veterinary science.”

Richard Greasley, Technical Manager at ForFarmers, said Henry was a very deserving winner: “His passion and presentation were excellent, and his enthusiasm for the dairy industry going forward was infectious.”

As a final-year student, Henry is aiming to complete his degree this summer – after which he is aiming to secure a role in dairy management to keep building on the practical and business skills he has honed at University.

He added: “I’m keen to gain experience on progressive commercial units, and I’d also like to spend some time working overseas, for example in countries like New Zealand or Australia, to see different systems.

“Longer term, I’d hope to use that experience to contribute to the development of the wider dairy industry."