Fury as BBC Panorama uses vegan activist's secret video of cows being abused on ONE farm
Farmers have been left furious after vegan activists hijacked the BBC to smear the dairy industry.
Milkers from across the country condemned the broadcaster over its one-sided portrayal of the trade in last night's Panorama.
They said the episode, titled A Cow's Life: The True Cost Of Milk, presented all countrymen as cruel to their animals.
The show aired secretly video filmed by an activist from Animal Equality UK of one farm in Wales.
The shocking footage showed workers kicking, punching and hitting cows in the heads with shovels.
But farmers were livid the Corporation and animal rights group tried to paint the whole trade as cruel.Rob Pooley, who has a 300-strong herd, said: 'So disappointed by the BBC they have shown the vile actions of those workers on dairy farms shown.
'But yet they won't show the 99 per cent other dairy farms in UK producing quality milk with the best animal welfare in the world please everyone don't think that's the norm.'
Steve Evans, a farmer from Pembrokeshire in Wales, said: 'Don't tar all farmers with the same brush.'
Martin Gott from Cumbria said: 'Panorama. Yes cruelty happens on some farms, it's never right.'
The cheesemaker added: 'In my experience it's far from the norm and actually becoming rarer.
'What is becoming more common is farmers suffering mental health crises and feeling disconnected from society, compassion is the greatest of virtues.'
Dairy farmer Phil Nash from Sussex said: 'Please don't think this is every dairy farm Eve, on our farm we respect and care for our cows, this is a tiny minority.'
The Panorama episode aired undercover footage of one dairy herd in Carmarthenshire, Wales.
It showed cows treated poorly, including being beating repeatedly and calves being dumped from digger buckets.
The farm in the spotlight supplied Freshways, which processes the milk before it goes into the supply chain.
The farmer was signed up to the Red Tractor assurance scheme which gives buyers a guarantee their product comes from farms where the animals are looking after.
Professor Andrew Knight, from Winchester University told the programme: 'It's abuse, it's inhumane, this should not be occurring.'
Barrister, Ayesha Smart said of the clip of a cow being hit with a shovel: 'Quite clearly that would constitute an offence and we would prosecute something like that.
'It's basically an assault against the animal and using a weapon is inevitably going to cause some degree of suffering and pain.'
After the show was aired, Animal Equality UK went on a PR blitz to try to whip up anger against struggling dairy farmers.
It also tried to rope in well-known activists - such as Chris Packham - to support their cause.
Farmers have been left furious after vegan activists hijacked the BBC to smear the dairy industry.
Milkers from across the country condemned the broadcaster over its one-sided portrayal of the trade in last night's Panorama.
They said the episode, titled A Cow's Life: The True Cost Of Milk, presented all countrymen as cruel to their animals.
The show aired secretly video filmed by an activist from Animal Equality UK of one farm in Wales.
The shocking footage showed workers kicking, punching and hitting cows in the heads with shovels.
But farmers were livid the Corporation and animal rights group tried to paint the whole trade as cruel.Rob Pooley, who has a 300-strong herd, said: 'So disappointed by the BBC they have shown the vile actions of those workers on dairy farms shown.
'But yet they won't show the 99 per cent other dairy farms in UK producing quality milk with the best animal welfare in the world please everyone don't think that's the norm.'
Steve Evans, a farmer from Pembrokeshire in Wales, said: 'Don't tar all farmers with the same brush.'
Martin Gott from Cumbria said: 'Panorama. Yes cruelty happens on some farms, it's never right.'
The cheesemaker added: 'In my experience it's far from the norm and actually becoming rarer.
'What is becoming more common is farmers suffering mental health crises and feeling disconnected from society, compassion is the greatest of virtues.'
Dairy farmer Phil Nash from Sussex said: 'Please don't think this is every dairy farm Eve, on our farm we respect and care for our cows, this is a tiny minority.'
The Panorama episode aired undercover footage of one dairy herd in Carmarthenshire, Wales.
It showed cows treated poorly, including being beating repeatedly and calves being dumped from digger buckets.
The farm in the spotlight supplied Freshways, which processes the milk before it goes into the supply chain.
The farmer was signed up to the Red Tractor assurance scheme which gives buyers a guarantee their product comes from farms where the animals are looking after.
Professor Andrew Knight, from Winchester University told the programme: 'It's abuse, it's inhumane, this should not be occurring.'
Barrister, Ayesha Smart said of the clip of a cow being hit with a shovel: 'Quite clearly that would constitute an offence and we would prosecute something like that.
'It's basically an assault against the animal and using a weapon is inevitably going to cause some degree of suffering and pain.'
After the show was aired, Animal Equality UK went on a PR blitz to try to whip up anger against struggling dairy farmers.
It also tried to rope in well-known activists - such as Chris Packham - to support their cause.
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