TWO NANTWICH farmers have helped provide a lifeline to Cheshire's dairy farming industry.

Robert Ford and Alan Baldwin have been involved in the development of Rose Veal, a new welfare friendly meat.

The idea has come over from Holland where the industry has taken off and the idea has been introduced to the county via the two farms and Andrew Henderson, Managing Director of feedstuffs company Newline.

Mr Ford of Brindley Hall Farm and Mr Baldwin from Baddington Farm began producing the veal 18 months ago.

Mr Ford said: "Veal in this country is a dirty word but this is a totally different product as the calves have plenty of room to move and are reared in a welfare friendly way."

Veal is often shunned in this country because of the manner in which the calves are raised and slaughtered, often being kept in crates and denied iron and water to keep the meat pale and to produce White Veal.

However, under the new system calves are allowed the room to move about and given a life sustaining diet.

Mr Baldwin added: "With the BSE my beef and dairy business has been under severe financial pressure so the sooner we can capture this idea the more likely we are to return to profitability, if we can show the public we are welfare friendly."

Other farms in the borough are now producing the veal and Mr Henderson maintained the growing industry had the potential to become huge: "When it comes to dairy farming Cheshire is one of the most intensive areas in Europe and this idea means farmers could be making up to £2,000 a year extra," he said.

"It started 12 months ago in Holland with 12,000 calves in the first year and they are now producing 4,300 a week," he added.

RSPCA spokeswoman, Emma Knutbrown, said: "The RSPCA thinks it is vital that the calves have plenty of room and space in which to move and we insist on proper iron levels and the provision of water and milk."

"Consumers need to be aware that most of the veal in the UK comes from the continent and from systems which are still illegal in the UK.

"Anything which gets calves out of crates is a step in the right direction but there is still some way to go," she added.

Robert Ford - Brindley Hall Farm, Brindley - 524207

Alan Baldwin - Baddington Farm, 624628 / 0468 855273

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.