Farming unites in condemnation of Guardian dairy coverage

UK farming bodies have joined together in condemning a “misleading” article in The Guardian that made “distorted” claims about the dairy industry. 

The NFU, Dairy UK and NFU Scotland, AHDB Dairy, NFU Cymru, the Ulster Farming Union,  RABDF, CLA and Ruma issued a joint statement denouncing the piece.

The statement is reproduced in full below:

Rain or shine, farmers get up before dawn to care for their cows.

Processors and manufacturers adhere to stringent rules to ensure consumers can pick up a wholesome bottle of fresh milk from the shop every day.

Vets will drive up to the farm in the middle of the night should a cow require urgent care.

Distress

So imagine our distress when we must fend off aggressive and gratuitous accusations which make for a good soundbite but do not stand scrutiny.

Sadly, we know all too well that it is a lot easier for our detractors to use strong and empty words than to stick to the facts.

See also: Marks & Spencer backs farmer over activist calf hutch claims

Our goals as an industry are quite simple. We want well-nourished and healthy people, healthy animals and a healthy planet.

Animal welfare is paramount and we operate with some of the most robust standards across the world while always striving to surpass them.

Yet the author of [The Guardian article headlined] “Dairy is scary. The public are waking up to the darkest part of farming” sets out to deliberately distort this.

Calf and cow welfare is at the heart of every good dairy farm in the UK.

Dairy farmers want to provide the best standard of care for both the cow and the calf throughout their life, making effort to ensure the animals are healthy and prospering.

The vast majority of dairy cows graze outdoors although like humans, they are grateful for shelter when the weather turns.

Hutch benefits

Hutches are seen by experts as one of the best systems of rearing young calves before they are moved into groups.

They comply with all welfare requirements for animal well-being and general health and allow the all-essential social contact calves need without risk of bullying. This leads to better health and biosecurity, and less antibiotics use.

Done well and to a high standard, this approach is recognised worldwide as offering the best start for calves through a warm, safe and social environment with individual care.

The writer is completely misinformed about use of medicines in dairy farming in the UK and, in fact, in Europe, where no hormones or antibiotics can be given to animals to promote growth or production.

These medicines are tightly controlled and any treatments must be prescribed by the farm’s vet and only in the interests of the animal’s health and welfare.

Strict withdrawal rules for meat and milk during the period of treatment mean no traces of that medicine are able to reach the food chain.

Cows calve once a year, prompting milk production which lasts about 10 months before the cow naturally stops.

This is the same for bovine animals on farms or in the wild. It’s what has made cows so valuable to human nutrition for thousands of years.

Best farm practice

Last but not least, what really matters is good management practice on farm, not the scale of the farm. 

All consumers have a right to choose what they eat and should be able to do so based on correctly presented facts.

See also: 13 milk myths and misconceptions debunked

As food producers, we have a duty to give the tools to make educated choices and we do so honestly and honourably.

So shoppers, let’s chat. If you want to know the real truth about dairy farming, don’t rely on the misinformation of someone who is intent on attacking the UK’s dairy industry.

Please get out there, visit a farm, talk to a farmer, ask a vet, look up how cheese or butter is made.

We’re proud of our industry and we’re always happy to talk so people can make an informed and empowered choice next time they buy their daily pint or favourite yoghurt.