Farmers forced to cull on the farm
29 November 1998
Farmers forced to cull on the farm
By FWi staff
FARMERS are being forced to cull surplus livestock on-farm because they can no longer afford to feed them, it was claimed today (Sunday).
The ongoing crisis in agriculture is now seriously threatening animal welfare, said Charles Mason of the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA).
Mr Mason said he had received numerous telephone calls and enquiries from distressed farmers faced with the difficult job of having to kill their own animals.
He believes that for each producer who comes forward for help, there are many others who do not.
The vast majority of farmers have never faced this predicament before, said Mr Mason.
“No good stockman wants to see livestock suffer, but serious animal welfare problems may occur if producers attempt to slaughter stock without the necessary skills,” he said.
The news comes just weeks after Devon farmer Maurice Vellacott made headline news when he shot 10 of his sheep, claiming they were worthless.
In August, FWi revealed that pig producers were slaughtering in-pig cull sows in an effort to avoid bankruptcy.
The NatWest Bank recently forecast that 25,000 farmers could go bankrupt because of the crisis in farming which has seen incomes plummet to their lowest level since the 1930s.