Letter: Veal aids British farmers
Letter: Calves are not valued for beef production and in 2008, 45,000 were killed shortly after birth. One way to give them a better life is to rear them for veal.
Letter: Half a million calves are born every year in the UK. The dairy industry doesn't value them, they are the wrong gender for milk production, and here in Shropshire as elsewhere in the country, farmers tend to consider them unsuitable for beef. In 2008 45,000 were killed shortly after birth.
One way of giving male dairy calves a better life is to rear them for veal. In the UK more than a quarter of the population eats veal, yet most consumed veal is imported from continental systems that do not meet British animal welfare standards.
High welfare veal is being produced in Britain. The calves are reared in groups, on straw and receive a better diet. If Brits switched from imported to British veal, the British farming industry would be able to give more calves a life worth living.
I urge readers in Shropshire to choose British if th- ey eat veal. Please consider joining the Compassion in World Farming Calf Life Campaign. Contact CIWF at supporters@ciwf.org.uk or +44 (0) 1483 52153.
David John
Church Stretton
