FUTURE OF DAIRY FARMING

<p>That this House notes with concern the increasing industrialisation of dairy farming in which cows are kept indoors for all or most of the year, are pushed to high milk yields and fed on unnatural cereal-rich diets that can lead to serious health problems; further notes the conclusion of the European Food Safety Authority that breeding for high milk yield is the major factor causing poor welfare in cows; believes that cows should be farmed in pasture-based systems as these enable them to express natural behaviours and are associated with lower levels of lameness; further believes that industrialisation threatens to undermine small dairy farmers; further notes that the use of lower yielding but healthier cows with better fertility and longevity can deliver higher net margins for farmers due to lower heifer replacement costs and higher sale prices for their calves and cull cows; and urges retailers and producers of dairy products not to source milk from industrial dairy units.</p>