Dairy Farming

Dairy farming

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dairy_farming

There are many ways to describe Nocton Dairies' former plans for an 8,100 cow dairy facility on Nocton Heath.

Factory farming

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_farming

Industrial agriculture (animals)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_agriculture_(animals)

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAFO

Of course, we still await the re-application with interest to see how the plans have altered, if indeed these ever surface. As time goes on, one can't help but feel there are other issues affecting the certainty of a resubmission.

You may like to see a couple of articles of interest:

Virtual World - April 2010

Graeme Kirk concludes his article by saying: "If a group of farmers wants to invest £40 million in a dairy enterprise why shouldn't they. I'd argue that it was greed that led to the fragmentation of the dairy industry that left the market in the state it is in now. The Nocton plan just shows that the same motives are still at work in agriculture."

http://www.farmersguide.co.uk/articles/hp_view.asp?ID=1349

Make mine milk campaign

Some criticism has been levelled at local residents recently, for undermining the UK dairy industry, but all we are trying to do is raise public awareness of the huge implications of a wholesale move to intensive dairying.

The dairy industry quite rightly like to promote their products in the best light, with cows portrayed grazing lazily in green fields, so surely we have the right to show the alternative. Many consumers have no idea how their milk is produced. For example, how many people are aware that "at least two supermarkets are currently selling it at a loss as part of their own promotions".

But do the public care, as long as they are getting cheap milk; indeed should they care? Well quite frankly, yes... especially if producers of dairy are being forced by supermarkets to ever increase their yields at lower and lower costs, through larger and larger herds, with all the implications this has for the environment. There has to be a proper debate, before we adopt the massive, intensive, factory farms of the USA. The UK doesn't have vast tracts of open land, our countryside is different, inhabited as it is by local villages. A move to intensive systems is not the right way forward. It is a flawed strategy for the future of UK dairying I believe.

http://www.farmersguide.co.uk/articles/hp_view.asp?ID=1495

Women's Institute

It is with great interest that the Women's Institute have listed the following as one of their 2011 AGM Resolution Shortlist Briefings.

"1. PROPOSED MEGA FARMS

Wording of resolution

This meeting abhors the practice of factory farming particularly large animals such as pigs and cows and urges HM Government to ensure planning permission is not granted for such projects."

To read more about the 2011 Resolutions, click here:

http://www.thewi.org.uk/standard.aspx?id=9706

or to download the full document, click here:

http://www.thewi.org.uk/documents/download.aspx?nodeid=55000