0:00:12 > 0:00:13Indiana, USA.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18These H-blocks house 30,000 dairy cows.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23The sheds are half a kilometre long and the fields around them are empty.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26That's because cows here rarely step outside.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31To their promoters, they're a brave new world in dairy farming.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35To their critics, they're milk factories. What's certain
0:00:35 > 0:00:40is that mega-dairies are now established fixtures of American agriculture.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44And it's started to happen here in Wales.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47A mega-dairy farm housing 1,800 cattle
0:00:47 > 0:00:49has been operating in Carmarthenshire for over a year
0:00:49 > 0:00:53without full planning permission. And councillors in Powys
0:00:53 > 0:00:59are considering plans for a major dairy there.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Is this the future for the Welsh dairy industry?
0:01:16 > 0:01:21We drink 700,000 litres of milk in Wales every day.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24But how many of us go beyond
0:01:24 > 0:01:27thinking whether to buy semi-skimmed or full-cream?
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And what do we really know about where our milk comes from?
0:01:30 > 0:01:35The truth is, behind the rosettes at the Royal Welsh Show,
0:01:35 > 0:01:39dairy farmers say their prospects are far from rosy.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41With the industry at a crossroads,
0:01:41 > 0:01:46talk away from the arena was more about losing profits than winning prizes.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50In this programme, we'll be meeting three Welsh dairy farmers,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54all concerned about the future of their industry.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57I think dairy farmers have got a number of choices.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Obviously, the first is to get out of the industry, which a lot are.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05I think about two are leaving the industry every day.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Some farmers are going back to grazing their herds on grass,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12the traditional method.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14I think it's special, family farms,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18because it involves all the family, sometimes.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20You know, you get the son taking over.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23On our farm, my wife does the milking.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28Other farmers are convinced that, if the dairy industry is to have a future,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31herds need to be big. Very big.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35We thought we'd go out to the States and meet the best people out there
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and I think we learned more in a week out there
0:02:38 > 0:02:41than I probably learned in 10 years of farming here.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46The average dairy herd in the UK currently numbers 112.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Fraser Jones, who farms at Lower Leighton near Welshpool,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54has 200 cattle.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58His herd may be bigger than average,
0:02:58 > 0:03:03but the WAY he farms is typical of most dairy farmers in Wales.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10He lets his cows graze in the fields during summer
0:03:10 > 0:03:16but, to increase their milk yield, he feeds them processed food all year round.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18So this is a ration for the dairy cows.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22It's grass silage, maize silage and concentrate,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26a bit of yeast and minerals with some molasses on top
0:03:26 > 0:03:30and that's a typical dairy ration for mid-lactation cows.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35A high proportion of the feed in this diet is bought-in,
0:03:35 > 0:03:40leaving conventional dairy farmers exposed to volatile global markets.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45For the UK farmer, the raw materials that we need to feed our cows,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49such as wheat, barley, soya and rape, are going up in price
0:03:49 > 0:03:52and we can't control that, that's out of our control.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55You have to feed your cows. At the end of the day, they have to be fed.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Throw in high fuel costs and a low milk price
0:04:02 > 0:04:07and dairy farmers like Fraser Jones are struggling to survive.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10The milk price is obviously a big issue.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14The milk price we are receiving at the moment isn't sustainable.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Farmers are expected to invest in their business
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and the milk price we are receiving at the moment
0:04:20 > 0:04:24doesn't give you that extra to put back into the business.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29So dairy farmers have to further reduce their costs.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32One option is massively increasing
0:04:32 > 0:04:35the size of their herds to achieve economies of scale.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39It's a trail already blazed in the USA
0:04:39 > 0:04:43where herds can be tens of thousands-strong.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Sheds like these can be half a kilometre long.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52They're home to cows who are used to living indoors
0:04:52 > 0:04:55and to whom grass is quite alien.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04Dozens of calves are born every day and housed in hutches.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Eventually, they'll be old enough to take their place on the milk carousel.
0:05:08 > 0:05:14Howell Richards, owner of the biggest single dairy unit in Wales,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18is an evangelist for this big is beautiful approach.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23We hear time and time again, "Large herds, there must be welfare issues,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27"you can't keep a lot of cows and not have problems."
0:05:27 > 0:05:31What shocked me when I first went to the States was
0:05:31 > 0:05:35how well their animal welfare was.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39He's installed a large rotary parlour
0:05:39 > 0:05:41like those in American mega-dairies.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45He's also chosen a type of high-yield cow,
0:05:45 > 0:05:49first bred in the United States, to produce more milk.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52I think the Holstein cow is a cow
0:05:52 > 0:05:56that has the potential to give a lot of milk.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01There's no question they have been bred to give more milk than,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05let's say, the New Zealand Jersey or the British Friesian.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Howell Richards feeds his cows a diet of high-energy processed food.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12It boosts their milk output so much
0:06:12 > 0:06:16that they need to be milked more often than conventional cows.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19The parlour is currently milking about 350 cows per hour.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22The aim is that a cow is never away from her food,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25water or the ability to lie down
0:06:25 > 0:06:27for more than an hour at any one time.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31While the cows are being milked,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34their sheds are cleaned, new bedding is blown in
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and feed distributed.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39This is basically a cow's life,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41365 days a year.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Having seen this vision of the future for himself,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Howell Richards was inspired to expand his herd.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Although he's had 1,800 cattle for over a year,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55he still doesn't have planning permission for his new sheds.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04The idea of bringing American-style mega-dairies to Wales
0:07:04 > 0:07:06- is not supported by everyone. - Good girls.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10- Allan Rogers farms near Wrexham. - Come on back to me. Good girls.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Faced with rising production costs,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16he and his wife, Heather, have gone to the other extreme.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21Between March and November, they graze their 160 cows on grass.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23They also grow their own winter feed,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27so producing nearly all their cows' food on their own farm.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30This reduces their costs substantially.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32HE WHISTLES
0:07:32 > 0:07:33Good girls. Come on now!
0:07:33 > 0:07:37We try to produce as much as we can off grass, really.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Come on, girls. Good girls. Come on.
0:07:40 > 0:07:47'Going for low-input, the cost of production was lower,'
0:07:47 > 0:07:51so we were gaining extra pence per litre we produced.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55'My father was born on a farm just up the road.'
0:07:55 > 0:07:56Come on, Jess.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02When he retired at 65, he sold us his cows
0:08:02 > 0:08:04so we were able to start up a dairy herd.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08We had 25 to start and we've built up to 160 now.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Instead of the large Holstein cows that Howell Richards,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Fraser Jones and many other dairy farmers favour,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23the Rogers have chosen a traditional type of cow.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26It's particularly suited to grazing grass...
0:08:26 > 0:08:28but produces a lot less milk.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33The cows are all bred from New Zealand Friesians
0:08:33 > 0:08:35and then they are crossed with a Jersey cross.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39You know, they're not big cows, they're quite little cows
0:08:39 > 0:08:41but they last a long time.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43And I like my little cows.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49'We don't expect big yields from our cows
0:08:49 > 0:08:52'and yet we can make quite a good living out of it.'
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Off you go. Go on, darling. Go on.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Allan and Heather buy in very little feed.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01During the summer, they use some of their land
0:09:01 > 0:09:05to grow food for their herd to eat during the winter.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07These forage crops not only provide protein for the cows
0:09:07 > 0:09:11but also naturally replenish the soil,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14dramatically reducing the need for bought-in fertilizer.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20We've found that the best forage crop to grow is oats and peas.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23They feed the cows in the winter, cos they're full of protein,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26and the nitrogen goes back into the ground
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and this is the winter feed for the cows.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37High-input and high-yield or low-input and low-yield,
0:09:37 > 0:09:43the choices facing the dairy industry shared centre-stage at the Royal Welsh Show.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47In his quest to secure a profitable future in Montgomeryshire,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Fraser Jones has researched both options.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55I think there's room in the UK for all types and size of farm,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59from a small family farm to a large farm,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03which is run more as a business with a lot more employees.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09With a low-input system, cattle are grazed for an extended time
0:10:09 > 0:10:13and therefore you haven't got the cost of buying your feed
0:10:13 > 0:10:19but your cows are only going to average 6,500, 7,000 litres of lactation per year.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Obviously, on a high-input system,
0:10:24 > 0:10:29you've got a lot more costs with shedding and feed costs
0:10:29 > 0:10:35but your cows will be averaging, you know, 10,000 litres a year.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40The extra volume in litres is paying for the extra costs,
0:10:40 > 0:10:46so, in overall profitability, there probably isn't much difference between the two systems.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47The trouble is,
0:10:47 > 0:10:52you can't have an intensive grazing system on every farm.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Every farm has got different soil types, different scenarios.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00So I was looking at intensive grazing,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03or a system which is more high-input,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05where the cows are housed slightly longer,
0:11:05 > 0:11:13and for this particular farm the high-input, high-output system, to me, is the most viable.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20And so Fraser Jones has opted to increase his herd five-fold
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and has applied to Powys County Council for permission
0:11:22 > 0:11:25to build a 1,000-cow dairy unit.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28To his critics, it's a mega-dairy
0:11:28 > 0:11:31and the application has created quite a stir.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34These are my plans of what I'm proposing to do
0:11:34 > 0:11:36at Lower Leighton Farm.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I plan to put my parlour,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41which is going to go on this waste area just behind me.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46And then the cattle housing, which will be over there.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51The oak tree in the distance is the furthest point of the cattle sheds.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56So that's going to be my three sheds for cattle housing.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58And then at the bottom, down towards the road,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02is going to be the, um, fodder storage shed, so...
0:12:02 > 0:12:07silage clamps, maize clamps and my straw storage facilities.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11All the manure is going to be pumped from the existing lagoon,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13which is just the other side of this waste area,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17into these two new proposed slurry stores,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21which are going to be the bottom side of the road, behind that high hedge.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27And that's the basic outlay of the buildings I plan to put up.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30The dairy complex Fraser Jones plans
0:12:30 > 0:12:36has similarities with the large indoor herd which Howell Richards already runs near Carmarthen.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42The cows I envisage in this new system, she's literally walking
0:12:42 > 0:12:45from the shed to the parlour, on to a rotary platform.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49She goes round with the platform and then walks back to the shed,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52so she will only be out of that shed for about half an hour.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Generally a cow, when she's finished milking, she goes back to the shed, she goes and eats.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01They'll eat, they'll fill their stomachs up
0:13:01 > 0:13:04and then go and they all go lie down in a cubicle.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09A basic cubicle is just over four foot wide and eight foot long.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12So she does spend a lot of time in that shed.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18I'd say, out of her day, she probably spends half of the day
0:13:18 > 0:13:21in a cubicle but, as I say, it is an environment which is very natural,
0:13:21 > 0:13:28with plenty of airflow and plenty of room to move about.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Cows basically need lots of room.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Cows should never be prisoners.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36The buildings that the cows are in
0:13:36 > 0:13:39are no different to what we would like to be in.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I mean, we all like to live in airy, well-lit rooms,
0:13:42 > 0:13:47we like to be fed regularly, we don't like too much change in our lives.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49While Howell Richards is confident his animals
0:13:49 > 0:13:52are healthy and happy in their airy sheds,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55some animal welfare groups aren't so convinced.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Mega-dairies are wrong for cows, they're wrong for consumers
0:13:59 > 0:14:02and they're wrong for the farming community.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05They are wrong for the cows because keeping cows permanently,
0:14:05 > 0:14:10or near-permanently, indoors will cause them health problems.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13It's likely to see their welfare suffer
0:14:13 > 0:14:18and, frankly, denies the fact that cows belong in fields.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21You know, in the press you read about these cows that are being
0:14:21 > 0:14:24forced to produce all this milk. You can't force cows.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28You know, it's total lunacy to say you can take a cow
0:14:28 > 0:14:30and force it, make it give a lot of milk.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34The harder you push a cow, the poorer the cow will be.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39The farmer wants the cow to be as happy as possible.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42You know, he wants it to be in perfect condition
0:14:42 > 0:14:45and you treat them right, they'll treat you right.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50And I don't think it matters how many cows you have,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52if you have 100 or 1,000 cows.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Each animal is still as important as the next.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58The reason that these cows are being kept permanently indoors,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01or near-permanently, is that they are being pushed to their
0:15:01 > 0:15:04physical limits to produce ever more milk.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08They're being pushed to the degree that their over-producing udder
0:15:08 > 0:15:12means that their bodies can't keep up.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15These animals are no longer able to survive, no longer able to
0:15:15 > 0:15:20remain healthy on grass and that's a serious health and welfare issue.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24It's not only my view.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28The European Food Safety Authority has said that keeping cows
0:15:28 > 0:15:34permanently indoors will make them more likely to suffer
0:15:34 > 0:15:36from serious health problems.
0:15:36 > 0:15:42I think it's very sad that people... They should try to...
0:15:42 > 0:15:45I would be very happy for them to come and see if they want to,
0:15:45 > 0:15:50look around these new units and how things are designed around the cow.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55Fraser Jones believes he's done this with the designs he's submitted.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Even so, his application has proved controversial.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Powys County Council has received 833 responses to the plans.
0:16:02 > 0:16:0495% are against.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09I'd say the most negativity has been from campaign groups
0:16:09 > 0:16:13and it's quite daunting, if you like,
0:16:13 > 0:16:18and quite worrying that people don't understand dairy farming.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21I know with my particular application,
0:16:21 > 0:16:26we were having objections coming from America, New Zealand,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Canada, Germany, France.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Pretty much every country you can think of,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32we were having objections from.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36And they didn't have a clue where Leighton was,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40they hadn't got a clue what I was actually doing.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43You know, people, they're part of their campaign group and they
0:16:43 > 0:16:49just go on the internet, click a button and their objection is sent.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Leighton residents know all too well
0:16:51 > 0:16:52where the mega-dairy would be built.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Some of them have formed a pressure group,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59the Campaign Against Leighton Farm Extension, CALFE.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04Leighton is a small village, but this farm would be within
0:17:04 > 0:17:07a few hundred yards from something like 30-odd residences.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10You've also got the village hall here,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14which is the heart of the community. It's going to just smother it.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16It's far, far too large for where it's proposed.
0:17:16 > 0:17:23When you consider that the school is a tiny little square there
0:17:23 > 0:17:25and this is the size of the development.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Should this farm be built, I think parents might be concerned
0:17:28 > 0:17:32about sending their children to a school right next to this
0:17:32 > 0:17:34huge factory farm.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37The sheer amount of slurry that's going to be produced
0:17:37 > 0:17:40by these cows is immense.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44There's two slurry tanks. Each of them will house this building
0:17:44 > 0:17:49and that's only four months' supply. It's a disaster waiting to happen.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Moving feedstuffs into the place and moving slurry out of the place,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56this is going to create a lot of traffic movement and,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58no doubt, smell and problems on the road.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I appreciate that this is a sensitive site.
0:18:01 > 0:18:08I fully appreciate that, but I also feel I have done everything to
0:18:08 > 0:18:11mitigate every possible scenario.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It does cover quite a large area, I don't dispute that,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17so it is going to be visual,
0:18:17 > 0:18:22but I've screened it by having a bund and lots of plantations.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24I have a commitment to slurry-inject all my slurry,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28so all my slurry produced on the farm will be injected into the ground.
0:18:28 > 0:18:34I feel that we have got a proposal here that will not affect
0:18:34 > 0:18:37the local community in any way whatsoever.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43You see, that's where it's going to come to, all that area,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46it's too out of proportion.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51A number of national organisations have also voiced their concerns.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54If this application is approved, then what we're talking about is
0:18:54 > 0:18:58a really completely stark industrial-scale building,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02huge sheds, great silo-type arrangements,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06a great carousel on which cattle will industriously walk in
0:19:06 > 0:19:10and out of it without even, probably, seeing a blade of grass.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15It really is completely alien in terms of the traditional
0:19:15 > 0:19:17approach and the traditional feeling
0:19:17 > 0:19:21that a farm in this part of Montgomeryshire
0:19:21 > 0:19:26and any part of rural Wales in the dairy sector would think of.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29I disagree with the Campaign to Protect the Rural Wales.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34I really do feel that what I am proposing is not industrialisation.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I totally disagree with them saying it's industrialisation.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42I feel it's a family farm which employs a lot more people.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45When you have an industrial-scale development of any sort,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49be it a farm, be it a business park, whether it's a prison...
0:19:49 > 0:19:53whatever you want to call it... it's an imposition in this landscape
0:19:53 > 0:19:55and that's where our concerns are
0:19:55 > 0:19:58in respect of this particular application.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03I feel that Wales needs farming, and it needs dairy farming.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07And it needs to support these sort of applications. I really do.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11While Fraser Jones waits to hear whether planners will let him
0:20:11 > 0:20:14erect his mega-dairy, Howell Richards is wondering if planners
0:20:14 > 0:20:19in Carmarthenshire will make him tear his two new sheds down.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22When we were building these sheds we weren't looking at the risks
0:20:22 > 0:20:26from the planning side of things.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29We had lost so much stock to TB and the idea was to build the
0:20:29 > 0:20:34shed to house the cows 365 days, to take the animals away from
0:20:34 > 0:20:38the wildlife and then, if we could stop the link between
0:20:38 > 0:20:45the animal and the badger then, hopefully, we would be free of TB.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Howell Richards' decision to expand his dairy massively and only then
0:20:49 > 0:20:54apply for planning permission has upset some of his neighbours.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57The property I live in now overlooks Cwrt Malle Farm...
0:20:57 > 0:21:00And it's a blot on the landscape.
0:21:00 > 0:21:07I have lived in the village for 26 years and the last three years
0:21:07 > 0:21:12have been quite unbearable because of the slurry coming from Cwrt Malle.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Eifion Bowen has to advise the decision makers
0:21:15 > 0:21:17on the local authority.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Cwrt Malle is an existing farm complex
0:21:20 > 0:21:25so you have the farmhouse and the traditional old stone buildings
0:21:25 > 0:21:30which, given today's agricultural practices, are not suitable.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33The two large proposed buildings... which are up...
0:21:33 > 0:21:38are rectangular structures and they are located just south
0:21:38 > 0:21:42of the farmhouse and the existing milking parlour.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47The buildings, as I said,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51are in situ and the construction proceeded even though the
0:21:51 > 0:21:55developer had been made aware that planning permission was required.
0:21:55 > 0:22:01How can people put up a building and then say, "Well, I've built it now.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04"What are you going to do about it?" It's wrong, you know.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07It is a difficult concept to grasp of course
0:22:07 > 0:22:11but don't actually break the law when you build anything without
0:22:11 > 0:22:15planning permission, you only break the law should you not fail
0:22:15 > 0:22:17to comply with any subsequent enforcement notice.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21So these buildings, yes, they've been built but we're now considering,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25obviously, to their impact on the landscape, impact on
0:22:25 > 0:22:28the local road network and impact on the local environment as well.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33The problem Howell's got, he's got to transport all this feed in,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35all of the slurry out
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and that's what's us a great deal of problem in this community.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Some of the issues with farms of this size is smell
0:22:41 > 0:22:47and it's certainly been an issue here to overcome that.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49We're actually now injecting slurry
0:22:49 > 0:22:52and we've been to see some of our neighbours who had issues
0:22:52 > 0:22:55with smell and are now delighted with the results.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59The next stage forward for this farm
0:22:59 > 0:23:03would be to build an advanced anaerobic digester.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07What we're planning to do here is to use 100% waste product,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09take all the methane out of the slurry
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and then recycle it again
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and provide electricity for 1,200 homes.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19We've got to give Cwrt Malle Farms Limited credit
0:23:19 > 0:23:25because since we've started the campaign, he has started to inject
0:23:25 > 0:23:31his slurry which has lessened the smells the village is getting.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Howell Richards might face planning problems,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38but the vet who visits his farm twice a week has no concerns
0:23:38 > 0:23:41about the welfare of his 1,800-strong herd.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Cows are naturally inquisitive.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48As you can see, cows are that happy, they are inquisitive.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53These cows are not, have no problems with lameness, you know,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56they look healthy, they're in good condition.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00But good animal husbandry isn't a matter for the planners.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04If they won't approve the shed's construction retrospectively,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Howell Richards could be forced to demolish them.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Removing the only mega-dairy operating in Wales.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15But what's the future of the Welsh dairy industry?
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Low-input grazing or a high-input industrial approach?
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Pint-sized or super-sized?
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Alun Davies has the task of shaping the future agricultural policy of Wales.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30When I look at the Welsh dairy industry,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34what I see is an industry with absolutely enormous potential.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38When you look at the amount of milk that's actually produced in Wales,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40what you see is a great success story.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Farming is a very diverse industry and we see that in Wales
0:24:43 > 0:24:46perhaps more so than in other parts of the United Kingdom
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and other parts of Europe.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52We're always going to see, I hope, a central role for the family farm.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56I think that's the backbone of rural life in Wales in many different ways.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59We will see other farms which are different in scale
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and different in nature
0:25:01 > 0:25:06but I don't see my role as a minister to make value judgments
0:25:06 > 0:25:10about what is good, what is bad, which way the industry should go.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Also attending the Royal Welsh Show
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and prepared to voice strong views on the right future for the industry
0:25:17 > 0:25:20was the author and broadcaster, Graham Harvey.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Basically these intensive systems are unsustainable because
0:25:23 > 0:25:26to grow the feeds, the cereal crops to feed the animals on,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29you have to have lots of fertilisers, pesticides
0:25:29 > 0:25:30and these need oil.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Which makes the whole system very oil dependent.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Grass-based systems are much more self-sustained,
0:25:39 > 0:25:40much more sustainable.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Farmers who produce milk on lower output systems,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47the inputs in terms of fertilisers and pesticides are much lower
0:25:47 > 0:25:51which means that farms can be profitable year after year.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58Unless farmers embrace technology and move with the times,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00then there won't be farming in Wales, simple as that,
0:26:00 > 0:26:06because we'll just import everything from Europe or wherever.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13The worrying thing for UK dairy, I feel,
0:26:13 > 0:26:18is that 40% of all dairy products now are imported.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Which is a horrific figure
0:26:20 > 0:26:25when you think about a country like the UK with 70 million people.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28In Wales grass is the great natural resource.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Something like 90% of the land is under grass
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and it's a no-brainer to feed grass to cows.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38It's the cheapest feed for cows, it produces the healthiest animals
0:26:38 > 0:26:41and it actually produces the most nutritious milk.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43So why would we not use grass?
0:26:43 > 0:26:49There's nothing as more pleasing to the eye than seeing a herd of cows
0:26:49 > 0:26:51coming out of the milking parlour,
0:26:51 > 0:26:57being let out into the field and frisking like young ponies.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00People have a very romantic view of farming, I think,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and you can talk a lot about, you know,
0:27:03 > 0:27:08people who like to see animals go out to grass and all the rest of it
0:27:08 > 0:27:10but ultimately it's a business
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and a lot of it boils down to the milk price.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17We could put another two or three pence easily on a litre of milk
0:27:17 > 0:27:21for the farmers and the farmers wouldn't expand so much.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Wouldn't be as intensive.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25You can't blame the farmers,
0:27:25 > 0:27:30they've been forced into this position by the price of milk.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34We're paying more for a small bottle of water than what we do for a litre of milk.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37There's got to be something wrong in that, isn't there?
0:27:37 > 0:27:41If the proposals for mega-dairies are successful I think
0:27:41 > 0:27:43that'll set a very dangerous precedent.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46It'll also undermine the integrity of our milk.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51Who wants milk to be viewed on our supermarket shelves with
0:27:51 > 0:27:55the same suspicion that is currently afforded to battery eggs.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Hopefully in 10 years' time we'll still be milking and making
0:27:59 > 0:28:04a reasonable profit and we're still producing what the consumer wants.
0:28:04 > 0:28:10Erm, but I think we all need a price increase from our customers
0:28:10 > 0:28:11to maintain that, really, yes.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Or a fair price against the cost of production.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Cos the end of the day, the public dictate to the supermarkets
0:28:18 > 0:28:21and the supermarket dictate to us.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24it's not really, the farmers quite often say
0:28:24 > 0:28:26"It's the supermarket's fault,"
0:28:26 > 0:28:30but at the end of the day they're only reacting to the public.
0:28:30 > 0:28:31The public have got the power.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:34 > 0:28:38E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk