Shoppers are pledging to ditch dairy after BBC Panorama on Monday (14 ) showed a documentary showing examples of poor welfare practice on an unidentified Welsh dairy farm and linked it to poor margins for primary producers.
In BBC’s documentary A Cows Life, reporters spoke to vets and farmers about the “controversial” way the milk is flowing. The documentary includes disturbing footage showing farmers constantly kicking and hitting an injured cow, with one even hitting it with a shovel. Another footage continues to show another worker aggressively pulling the cows tail.
Much of the programme was filmed by an undercover representative of animal rights group Animal Equality.
The programme also discussed the issue of calf separation – with experts explaining that this was better done sooner rather than later.
National Farmers Union (NFU) Cyrmru deputy president Abi Reader says in the documentary, “Even just one extra penny per litre will enable a farmer to upgrade or take advantage of new technology out there so the cows are getting the best care they can.”
Soon after the documentary was aired, people took to social media to express their anger at the industry, with some pledging to “stop drinking milk”.
“Just watched #ACowsLife the true cost of milk on #panorama anyone who wants to understand why the dairy industry is disgusting, inhumane & careless should watch it,” tweeted Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan.
Just watched #ACowsLife the true cost of milk on #panorama anyone who wants to understand why the dairy industry is disgusting, inhumane & careless should watch it. The consumer decides how cruel the industry is. My decision is to support a compassionate lifestyle be #vegan 🌿
— Peter Egan (@PeterEgan6) February 14, 2022
God, this was a hard watch.😔
I can't commend #ACowsLife: I'm sorry, but it's really, really disturbing… inhumane, evil treatment of cows.
Intensive dairy farming has got to change.
I've been off dairy and on soya milk now for five years, and it's absolutely fine.#Panorama https://t.co/mLezCgvah1— Adrian Hilton💎 (@Adrian_Hilton) February 14, 2022
No more dairy. I subconsciously tried to avoid the reality of calves being torn from their mothers and the rest of the cruelty. But NO MORE!!! There are alternatives and we can be more humane #acowslife
— justjulie (@justjulieni) February 14, 2022
The best way we can ensure that these vile practices aren’t being inflicted on these beautiful animals is to boycott the industry. Chose plant or nut milks, you’d be pleasantly surprised #BBCPanorama #ACowsLife
— Jess ⎊ (@ic_ca) February 15, 2022
Farmers too were quick to condemn the poor welfare practices shown, but have been adamant that it is not representative of the vast majority of dairy farmers in the UK.
A Pembrokeshire-based dairy farmer urged on Twitter to “not to tar all farmers with the same brush”.
Don’t tar all farmers with the same brush. I’m as appalled as you are about the abuse on that farm and hopefully there will be prosecutions.
— Steve Evans (@Evsthetractor) February 14, 2022
So disappointed by the #BBC they have shown the vile actions of those workers on dairy farms shown, but yet they won't show the 99% other dairy farms in UK producing quality milk with the best animal welfare in the world please everyone don't think that's the norm #Panorama
— rob (@robpooley1) February 14, 2022
The report comes as the the average daily yield for a dairy cow is 40 percent higher than it would have been about 30 years ago.
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