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Farming Today: 15/02/2012

15/02/2012

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 15/02/2012

The welfare standards on British pig farms are defended after a case of alleged cruelty.

The National Pig Association defends animal welfare standards on British farms following another alleged case of cruelty.

The vegan charity Animal Equality talks to Anna Hill to defend the actions of its undercover reporter who it claimed recorded examples of cruelty on a pig farm in Norfolk. The organisation says it recorded employees beating, hitting and kicking pigs. It dismisses claims from the farmer who says the animals in question were being cared for by their reporter. The National Pig Association clarifies the rules and standards for responsible pig farming in the UK. 

Fisherman who use small boats say they are being forced out of business by a system which allows larger operators to control the amount of fish they can catch. Boats under ten metres long make up three-quarters of Britain's fleet and yet can only take around 10% of the fish quotas available. Currently the quotas are distributed by the Government to larger fishing partnerships, who then in turn make quotas available for smaller fleets. 

And the UK needs at least 500 more venison farms to supply the domestic demand for the game meat, according to the Scottish Venison Partnership. Anna Hill asks the RSPCA whether, as some farmed deer spend at least part of the year indoors, we could see thousands of intensively reared animals as the industry expands. 

This programme was presented by Anna Hill and produced in Birmingham by Angela Frain.

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