Sir, The latest report from the World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA) on the 'mega-dairies' debate makes for disturbing reading ('She's out: Meaden backs WSPA in fight against megadairies', 10 September).
Trying to argue that there is only one production system that is sustainable for the future is naïve and shows a lack of comprehension of the UK's dairy market. We mustn't forget that half our market requires a level supply of milk something hard to achieve on a wholly pasture-based system.
It is also disappointing to see one part of the industry, the pasture-based farmers, being drawn into attacking and belittling another, the more intensive dairy farmers, when really the industry should be working together. Not only is such a debate boringly old hat now, but also the arguments being put forward in the report are made without accurate data to back them up and with biased assumptions.
As a result one can only question the credibility of the whole argument being made by WSPA in the document. It is, therefore, somewhat surprising to see that a well-known businesswoman and TV celebrity is prepared to support a document that is so clearly biased and ill thought out. I think a pitch based on this type of business understanding would get pretty short shrift in Dragons' Den.
John Allen, managing partner, Kite Consulting
Trying to argue that there is only one production system that is sustainable for the future is naïve and shows a lack of comprehension of the UK's dairy market. We mustn't forget that half our market requires a level supply of milk something hard to achieve on a wholly pasture-based system.
It is also disappointing to see one part of the industry, the pasture-based farmers, being drawn into attacking and belittling another, the more intensive dairy farmers, when really the industry should be working together. Not only is such a debate boringly old hat now, but also the arguments being put forward in the report are made without accurate data to back them up and with biased assumptions.
As a result one can only question the credibility of the whole argument being made by WSPA in the document. It is, therefore, somewhat surprising to see that a well-known businesswoman and TV celebrity is prepared to support a document that is so clearly biased and ill thought out. I think a pitch based on this type of business understanding would get pretty short shrift in Dragons' Den.
John Allen, managing partner, Kite Consulting
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