Bid To Create Strong Domestic Calf Market
UK - Farming groups are working alongside animal welfare charities and UK supermarkets to create a strong domestic market for UK calves to prevent so many from being exported abroad.Although the two sides are working from different areas - the animal welfare groups want to see an end to exports while the farming groups want to see more UK calves being reared for the UK market - they share a similar vision.
For years, tens of thousands of dairy calves have been destroyed at birth because farmers couldn't afford to rear them and now that the export market has reopened many are being exported to be reared for veal.
Although veal crates were banned throughout the EU in January this year, many of the systems to which the calves travel would be illegal in the UK.
The Beyond Calf Exports Stakeholders Forum is now seeking to find realistic and economically viable alternatives that will benefit the UK beef industry, calf breeders and also calf welfare.
Source: ICteeside