Viewers ‘sickened’ by Burnside Farm video
The “sickening” scenes in the Trading Standards Burnside Farm video (Farmers Weekly, 19 Jan & FWi) should not be allowed to damage the reputation of law-abiding farmers.
That’s just one reaction from readers in the FWi Discussion Forums over the past week. Below is a selection of a few more responses and links to the videos. If you want to have your say, then visit the forums now!
| FWi can exclusively reveal the dreadful conditions on Burnside Farm,Heddon-on-the-Wall, filmed by Trading Standards officers four weeks after the farm’s swill feeding license was renewed. We also have a revealing statement which was withheld from a key government enquiry into foot-and-mouth: |
Reaction from visitors to the FWi discussion forums:
| “While it was a disgrace the way the farm was operating in the lead up to FMD… the biggest disgrace is that we as a country have learnt nothing from our experience in 2001. “…the under lying cause behind FMD and the BSE outbreak was cheap food production. And yet since 2001, farm gate prices are being driven ever further into the ground and uncontrolled cheap imports flood in from FMD countries.” |
| “I believe the industry has reacted to the need for greater bio-security and traceability in a positive way, but you will always get a few farmers that won’t change. “Sadly I don’t think we will ever be safe from another outbreak, but hopefully the ministry have learnt from their mistakes and it could be contained quicker. I hope we never get a chance to find out!” |
| “Must have taken editorial courage to put it [the video] up. I think you did the right thing – there is no place for standards like that in our industry. The honest and decent swill feeders have suffered because of this dreadful example, it’s just not fair.” |
And, from elsewhere on the web…
| “I’m sickened to view the first of the 2 videos. The inspector who allowed the business to continue stating the feeding system was “deficient” surely needs to be brought to book. “Someone in the intensive pig industry needs to consider countering these videos with a video to show the other end of the husbandry spectrum.” |