Milk Marketing Board

DATE: 1942-1956

LEVEL: Fonds

This Series contains records relating to the activities of the Milk Marketing Board (MMB. It includes National Milk Records (NMR), a scheme of milk recording in a campaign for increased milk production; butter-fat testing, including a meeting between representatives of the NMR and representatives of the Scottish Milk Records Association; and the establishment of a MMB Grass Drying Centre at Dartington. The records were primarily accumulated by Peter Sutcliffe through his role as member and chairman of committees including: the NMR Advisory Committee; the NMR Devon and Cornwall Branch; the NMR Sub-Committee on Butterfat-Testing; the NMR Technical Sub-Committee of the National Advisory Committee; and MMB Dartington Grass Drying Management Committee.

The records consist of correspondence primarily between Peter Sutcliffe and members of the MMB who included W L Powlesland, Milk Records Officer; A Lloyd Provan, Chief Chemist; R Reynolds, Chief Records Officer.

Additional material includes: minutes; reports; Milk Recording Sheets; memoranda; press cuttings; draft contracts; a copy of a lease between The Dartington Hall Trustees and the MMB; publications; and financial statements.

Established in 1931 the Milk Marketing Board objective was to regulate the marketing of milk. The Boards purchased all milk produced, and sold it for liquid consumption or manufacture. Income was then distributed to producers in proportion to the milk they had consigned to the Boards. The Boards also offered farm management services to farmers to help increase efficiency on the farm, milk recording schemes to enable farmers to plan breeding, general management and herd health schemes, and artificial insemination services.

In 1942, the Milk Marketing Board inaugurated a scheme of milk recording in a campaign for increased milk production. The Board was assisted by the Central Council for Milk Recording Societies of England and Wales, the National Farmers' Union and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in drawing up a Junior Scheme of Milk Recording. It resulted in all Milk Recording coming under the auspices of the Milk Marketing Board. Provision had been made for the Board to have the assistance and guidance of an Advisory Committee in matters of policy, and this was composed of representatives of the Central Council, the National Farmers' Union, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Breed Societies and the Board.

In 1946, a Sub-Committee on Butter-fat Testing was appointed by the National Milk Records to consider means of improving the butter-fat testing service, and, within this, to investigate methods of composite sampling. The main object of butter-fat testing was to provide information on the average fat content in the milk of individual cows for a lactation period to afford a basis for improvement of the fat content of milk by breeding. It was also to provide a herd owner with information on the fat content of the milk they sold. Butter-fat testing was a service provided for National Milk Records through the laboratories of the Milk Marketing Board. In 1951, a meeting between representatives of the National Milk records and representatives of the Scottish Milk Records Association arose following a letter form Aryshire Cattle breeders Association of England and Wales suggested an effort should be made to bring methods of butter-fat sampling and testing into line throughout great Britain. The purpose of the meeting was to review the present practices of milk recording in the two organisations, and to consider means by which greater uniformity could be achieved between them.

In 1948, the Milk Marketing Board erected a Grass Drying Centre at Dartington, under the management of F Darke. An advisory committee was established to advise a Board of Management on all matters of grass growing and drying for and at the centre. In 1956, The Dartington Hall Trust purchased the centre from the MMB, and then changed the building to be used as Textile Spinning Shed.

Information for Researchers

All papers belonging to The Dartington Hall Trust Archive (with the exclusion of Dartington Hall School pupils individual records) are held at the Devon Record Office. All enquiries relating to research should be made to Devon Records Office, Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Sowton, Exeter, Devon EX2 7NL
+44 (0)1392 384253
+44 (0)1392 384256
devrec@devon.gov.uk
www.devon.gov.uk/record_office

The following requests should be made direct to the Archives & Records at The Dartington Hall Trust as shown below:
Copies of images as seen on The Dartington Hall Trust online catalogue with appropriate reference number (Ref No.)
Permission to publish or quote from any document held in the Dartington Hall Trust Archive
Former pupils of Dartington Hall School wishing to view their records
Archives & Records
The Dartington Hall Trust
Dartington Hall
Totnes TQ9 6EL
01803 847201
yvonne.widger@dartington.org