The plans were put on hold in April this year after planning authorities raised concerns about slurry management and the smell at the site.
Nocton Dairies said it needed time to address the issues raised but Begg said it is expected that a plan will be re-submitted sometime in October.
Media reaction
When the plans were originally released they provoked something of a media storm and a number of campaign groups went on the attack.
Groups like Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) and Vegetarians International Voice for Animals (VIVA) made the case against the ‘super dairy’ vocally in the press.
Much of the debate surrounding the building of what would be the biggest dairy farm in Britain, producing 250,000 litres of milk per day, related to its impact on animal welfare. Comparisons with battery farms of poultry were quickly drawn.
But Begg said that the proposed Nocton farm is “million miles from away” from the images conjured in the press.
The industry representative said that perhaps not enough effort had gone in to explaining the reality of the project and putting the positive case forward.
He said that innovation is a two stage process that first involves investment in scientific research and then engagement with the public and the media to build consumer acceptability.
Engagement
If an innovation fails the acceptability test than it risks being delayed or even cancelled altogether. In the case of Nocton Dairies, the new production techniques may well be necessary innovations to make the UK dairy industry competitive on a global scale but unless public confidence can be built the project risks failure.
However, Begg said that he is confident that this time around the media debate will be reasonable and balanced. He said one of the most important elements in ensuring a positive outcome is the presence of independent experts reacting positively to the concept of large scale farming.
The Dairy UK director general cited a recent report from the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) as an example of the positive voices joining the debate. Its conclusion that animal welfare has nothing to do with farm size and everything to do with animal husbandry practice is a message that the industry is keen to spread.
Begg said the industry has to encourage independent voices to speak out about large scale farming and be more positive generally in its approach to the media debate.