Review 2011: How big is too big?

With 2011 coming to an end Farmers Weekly looks back at some of the events that shaped this year, like the controversy surrounding the proposed large-scale dairy farm near Nocton.

How big is too big? There’s no easy answer – which meant the issue of large-scale farming was never far from the headlines during 2011.

After months of wrangling, plans to establish Britain’s biggest dairy farm – a 3,770-cow herd in rural Lincolnshire – were finally withdrawn amid dismay from supporters and protests from animal welfare campaigners.

Efforts to build the so-called “mega dairy” near the village of Nocton came to an end on 16 February, with the farmer-owned company behind the venture blaming Environment Agency objections.

Dairy industry commentator Ian Potter said the decision was a disappointment for the milk sector. But large-scale dairies still had a future in Britain, he added, with similar applications expected during the next few years.

This was a year during which national and local lobby groups joined forces in an effort to stop plans for a number of larger farms. After Nocton, protesters turned their sights on similar plans for a 2,500-sow pig farm at Foston, Derbyshire.

The 12ha Foston development is the brainchild of Martin Barker, managing director of Midland Pig Producers. Plans for the pig unit were drawn up to the highest possible animal welfare specifications, he said.

Like Nocton, however, the Environment Agency was unimpressed – at least initially. But then the agency withdrew its objection after receiving assurances that water pollution would not be a problem.

In an era of rising demand for food, supporters argue that larger units are vital to achieve the economies of scale needed to increase production while keeping down prices for consumers and ensuring a fair return for farmers.

But opponents maintain the cost is too high in environmental and animal welfare terms. Bigger farms have the potential to cause bigger problems when it comes to pollution and animal health, they argue.

Similar arguments have been made about plans for a 1,000-cow dairy unit in Wales – although similar size units are not uncommon and 2000-cow herds already exist across the border in England.

The farming community itself remains divided, with the Soil Association arguing that large-scale farming could herald a new phase in the way animals are kept and change the landscape forever.

• Read more from our Review of the Year 2011