US-style mega-dairy plans are withdrawn

On the 16th Februrary 2010 there was some great and welcome news, plans for the US-style megadairy in Nocton, 10 km south of Lincoln in Lincolnshire, had been withdrawn.  The animal rights and environmental campaign groups have done a great job, and so has everyone who supported the campaign against this mega-dairy.  However, I believe it is not over yet, as the corporation behind the proposed factory farm still owns the land.  The root cause of the problems facing UK dairy farmers, especially small and family farmers not paid a fair price at the farm gate, also needs to be addressed.

After a long campaign by animal rights and environmental campaign groups, and individuals including local residents, as well as objections raised by the Environmental Agency due to the risk of water pollution, Nocton Dairies withdrew their proposal for a 3,770 cow megadairy.  Then on the 22nd February 2010, the Nocton Dairies proposal for the construction of an effluent (digestate) pipeline was refused permission by North Kesteven County Council, as reported here.  However, Nocton Dairies have not sold the plot of land which they have bought, and say they are "considering their options".  Indeed the farmers behind the Nocton Dairies say they "still hope to see large scale  US-style mega dairies in the UK", and another farmer in Cambridgeshire is reported to be looking to set up a 2,000-3,000 cow unit mega-dairy there.

There is also another issue that also needs to be addressed, that the dairy farmers are simply not being paid anywhere near enough at the farm gate, which is why so many dairy farmers, especially small and family dairy farmers, struggle.  This was mentioned in the Corporate Watch report "A rough guide to the UK farming crisis", which was also covered in a previous article, titled "The UK farming crisis".  US-style megadairies will do nothing to address this, indeed this could drive small farmers out of business.  Dairy farmers should be paid a fair price at the farm gate, and thus have a fair share of the profits in the milk chain.  Indeed, the Campaign Against Factory Farming Operations (CAFFO.co.uk) has called for farmers to receive 50% of the retail price as a first step, and for the dairy industry (especially retailers) to ensure that farmers get a fair share of the profits.

The Nocton mega-dairy is not the only US-style factory farm proposed in the UK, and neither is the other proposed mega-dairy in Cambridgeshire.  In Foston, 18 km west of Derby, in Derbyshire, there is a US-style pig mega-farm proposed, which would keep 2,500 breeding sows, and 20,000 pigs and piglets indoors.  This also needs to be stopped, and for more information on the campaign against the pig farm, one can read the Compassion in World Farming (CiWF) webpage on this subject for example.  The Soil Association also object very strongly to this pig factory farm, had submitted a formal objection.  The Soil Association then received a warning from libel lawyers representing MPP claiming that their objection was "defamatory".  This warning letter is regarded as "legal bullying", as well as an abuse of libel law meaning that free speech is stifled, and also an example of why libel law in the UK needs to be reformed.

I not only oppose all US-style factory farms, which must not be allowed to be started in the UK.  I oppose all factory farming worldwide.  Factory farming is a monstrosity which should be abolished and banned everywhere.  An article "Ban factory farming now" was written explaining the reasons why.

Resources and further reading

• Campaign Against Factory Farming Operations (CAFFO.co.uk)
• CAFFO.co.uk - Ambitious plans for UK's largest dairy withdrawn, 16/02/2011
• CAFFO.co.uk - Nocton Dairies' pipeline is refused - campaigners breath a sigh of relief, 22/02/2011
• Compassion in World Farming (CiWF)
• CiWF - Cows belong in fields
• CiWF - Pig 'mega-farm' proposal, 20/01/2011
• Corporate Watch
• Corporate Watch - Dairy farm that was to be the largest in the UK scrapped, 24/02/2011
• Soil Association
• Vegetarians International Voice for Animals (Viva!)
• WSPA
• 38 Degrees - Let's stop cow factory farms
• FARM - The independent voice of farmers
• Glob on someday - Ban factory farming now
• Glob on someday - The UK farming crisis
• The Independent - 'Superdairy' plan shelved over pollution concerns, 16/02/2011
• The Guardian - Soil Association given libel warning after objection to huge pig farm, 18/01/2011