Menu

Butter adverts upset British farmers

- 05 October 2001
>More in


5 October 2001



Butter adverts upset British farmers

By Alistair Driver


BRITISH dairy farmers are incensed by a 2 million advertising campaign for imported butter which criticises modern farming methods.


The advertisements, which have sprung up on billboards in cities across the country, are for Anchor butter from New Zealand.


One version shows a cows grazing a hillside. It is accompanied by the words: “Modern Farming? Were 75 years behind, thank goodness.”


Another says: “Call us old-fashioned, but shouldnt cows eat grass?”


Some British dairy producers described the advertisements as a thinly veiled attack on their industry, which has been devastated by foot-and-mouth.


The National Farmers Union said it had been contacted by farmers who believe the campaign is kicking British farmers when they are down.


Cumbrian dairy farmer Mike Armstrong, who has had his animals culled because of foot-and-mouth, said the adverts were very unhelpful.


“I dont know what they are trying to achieve. If they are saying modern farming methods led to foot-and-mouth then that is absolute rubbish.”


A spokesman for New Zealand Milk, the company that produces Anchor Butter, vehemently denied it was trying to undermine British farmers.


“Be certain, we are not in anyway knocking British farming,” he said.


“Indeed we were recent guests at Beef 2001 in Cirencester, and our systems were acknowledged as simple, effective and good.


“The aim of the campaign is to make people realise that for a hundred years or more dairy cattle in New Zealand have eaten grass all the year round.”


The New Zealand Milk website claims that New Zealand is the best environment in the world for producing dairy products.


“All over the world, customers want products from New Zealand. Thats because New Zealand is famous for its clean, green, fresh countryside.”


“And thats where most of our products are sourced.”

See more