Think-tank calls for Milk Czar
Think-tank calls for Milk Czar
THE milk sector should appoint a "milk czar" to promote the benefits of drinking milk and the cause of British dairy producers, according to an industry think-tank.
The Milk Strategy Initiative has called for industry-wide co-operation to appoint a high profile champion for the industry as a matter of urgency. Peter Padfield, Essex farmer and MSI member, said: "Since the abolition of the Milk Marketing Boards our industry has, in many respects, been like a headless chicken."
Mr Padfield said the right person may well be from outside the industry because they could take a fresh approach and think and act laterally. "Someone who has no political baggage, no partisan commercial interests and no stultifying committee restrictions," he said.
Meanwhile, the NFU has lodged a complaint with advertising watchdogs over a campaign to discourage children from drinking milk. The NFU claims animal rights activists, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is out to destroy the UK dairy industry.
PETA claims milk causes spots, wind and weight gain, excess phlegm and encourages osteoporosis. To illustrate this, PETA is distributing trading cards at school gates featuring characters such as "Chubby Charlie", "Spotty Sue" and "Windy Wendy".
But now the NFU has written to the Advertising Standards Authority to about PETAs claims, and says it is wrong to target youngsters. NFU deputy president Tim Bennett said the campaign was "based on lies", and that milk was essential for healthy bones, teeth and skin, and as a calcium source. *