WSPA celebrates victory for cows in the UK

Mar 2, 2011

Would you drink factory milk from a battery cow? If, like us, you are opposed to the spread of mega dairies across the world say “Not in my Cuppa”. 
 
That’s what our team in the UK said loud and clear in response to a plan to build a mega dairy which would have seen 8,100 cows intensively farmed by company Nocton Dairies. The result? After a year of solid campaigning with the help of WSPA supporters worldwide, and due to government Environmental Agency objection, Nocton Dairies recently withdrew its planning application.

In addition to considerable animal welfare concerns which ensured our opposition from the outset, the UK’s Environmental Agency objected on the grounds that the massive factory dairy could cause pollution of groundwater and soil surrounding the farm.

“This is fantastic news and greatly welcomed by the WSPA,” said Suzi Morris, WSPA UK Director. “While the Environment Agency’s objections were the final nail in the coffin for the Nocton plans, our own research made it clear that there were numerous reasons why Nocton should not be given the go-ahead. This is a victory for consumers, dairy farmers and, of course, the cows.”
   
Nocton Dairies, which would have seen an initial 3,770 cows increased to 8,100 over time, planned to milk cows three times daily, producing 19,300 pints of milk per head annually, with cows having little or no access to outdoor grass areas. This is simply unacceptable for animal welfare.

By contrast, an average British dairy farm would have 100 to 125 cows that are milked twice a day, producing 12,300 pints of milk per head in a year, and spending six to a maximum eight months a year outdoors grazing on grass.

WSPA UK will continue to lobby the government and food and farming industries to support humane and sustainable dairy farms and ensure that mega dairies are never allowed to take hold.

For more information about our factory farming work internationally please click here.