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Farmers get behind third #Februdairy campaign

Philip Case 04 February 2020
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© Tim Scrivener© Tim Scrivener

Februdairy is back – with farmers celebrating everything that’s great about our dairy industry.

The month-long campaign, which started on 1 February, aims to flood social media with thousands of posts to promote the British dairy industry.

Dairy producers have already been shouting out about the benefits of milk products in the diet on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

See also: 13 milk myths and misconceptions debunked

This is the third consecutive year the initiative has run and the official Twitter account (@Februdairy) now has more than 2,700 followers.

The campaign was created in 2018 by independent livestock sustainability consultant Jude Capper (@Bovidiva), to dispel the myths about dairy and fight back against vegan criticism of the sector.   

It has attracted support from farmers and celebrities, including rugby players, who have pointed out the benefits of dairy products to aid recovery from playing sports.

Wales rugby star Dan Lydiate tweeted a picture of a carton and a bottle of fresh, local milk, alongside the caption: “Great way to start #Februdairy diolch [thanks] team dairy.”

Dr Capper tweeted: “Scientific studies show it to be the best for rehydration, muscle repair and recovery. Great choice for today’s young athletes. #dairy #Februdairy.”

Get behind campaign

Dairy farmers have urged fellow farmers and the public to get behind the campaign.

Suffolk dairy farmer Jonny Crickmore, who farms 300 Montbeliarde cows and produces cheese and butter from raw milk at the farm in Bungay, said: “We need fats and protein in food.

“We have got to question a lot of the origin of protein and where it comes from and whether it’s better to have locally sourced dairy products where you can literally see the animals.

“As farmers, we need to be promoting that with milk and dairy products the proteins and fats are coming from an animal which will keep giving you that on a daily basis.”

Mr Crickmore added: “Having dairy in a balanced diet brings multiple health benefits. I’m not saying that you cannot survive as a vegan. But a lot of people have struggled with the vegan diet to find the right balance of food.

“The research shows that grazing herds and more organic herds have the healthiest types of fats. Also, in terms of the environment, the animals put back into the soils what they take out of it.”

The NFU said milk remains a household staple and 98% of households choose dairy. British milk is produced to world leading standards and 95% is Red Tractor assured.

A glass of milk contains 41% of your iodine, 31% of your calcium and 14% of your protein recommended daily dose.

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