NFU chief dairy adviser Sian Davies has been interviewed by Radio 4’s You & Yours as part of a feature on free range milk.
Membership organisation, The Free Range Milk Marketing Board, has been set up by farmer Nick Hiscox to set a standard for Free Range Milk. The group hopes to earn farmers higher farmgate milk prices, by assuring shoppers their cows graze in fields for part of the year.
Another scheme, Free Range Dairy, has also been launched - participating farms must graze for 180 days each year (night and day) – except for derogations in severe weather conditions.
You & Yours presenter Shari Vahl asked if other farmers will join the organisation and if consumers would like to see free range milk in the supermarkets?
Sian Davies told her that there is no evidence that one grazing system was better than others. “What’s most important is the management of the herd, and most cows in the UK do graze outside during the spring and summer months. Cows are very much like you and me – they want to be warm and comfortable. Some cows are housed all year round and that could be for various reasons – geographical area, health and welfare or environmental issues. But there is no proof out there that cows in housed systems are better off than cows on grass.
“Consumers must understand how cows are looked after in this country. I would encourage the listeners to get out on farm – the opportunity is there on Open Farm Sunday in June – see the cows in different systems, outdoors and indoors, and see how they behave. There are a large variety of different farms across England and Wales and dairy farmers are more than happy to have the public on the farm to see how milk is produced”
So, does size matter and can no matter how big a dairy farm, can it be linked to animal health and welfare?
Dairy farmers in the UK are very proud of what they produce. The standards of health and welfare in the UK are as good, or even better, than our European and global competitors. The most important thing for consumers is to support our farmers, in the knowledge that whatever scale or system they farm, the health and welfare of the herd is of paramount importance. And for that to continue we need our customers to continue buying British dairy products.
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