SUPPORT FOR NFU CYMRU’S TV COMPLAINT

Neil Hamilton, AM for Mid & West Wales and Leader of UKIP Wales, is backing a farmers union who are complaining about a BBC documentary.

Mr Hamilton is urging his constituents to support NFU Cymru’s call for people officially to complain about the TV programme, ‘Veganville’.

The three part documentary series features a group of five vegan activists who attempt to convert residents of Merthyr Tydfil to veganism.

Mr Hamilton, a long-time supporter of the farming industry and a member of the Senedd’s Rural Affairs, said:

“As a proud meat eater I fully support NFU Cymru on this matter. It is very disappointing that a national TV company, paid for by us, sees fit to screen a programme which can adversely affect the livelihood of thousands of people.

“Our hardworking farmers have more than enough to do to survive and do not need this kind of programme which appears actively to promote veganism.

“Farmers are the custodians of the countryside which would look very different without animals in the fields. Most of Wales is unsuited to arable crops, so the land would quickly revert back to scrub if no animals were reared for food. This would be an economic and environmental catastrophe.

 “Everyone has a right to eat what they want but it is important that any documentary, in particular on the licence-funded BBC, should be balanced and fair to both sides.

 “I fully support the very justified concerns of NFU Cymru.”

NFU Cymru President John Davies said: “It is frustrating that once again a BBC-commissioned programme is acting as a promotional tool for a specific campaign representing only a tiny minority of people.

 “A number of claims are made during the ‘Veganville’ series that are false – not least that the best thing a person could do for the environment would be to immediately turn vegan.

“NFU Cymru was asked to contribute to the programme, but our dairy farmer featured in less than six minutes of over two hours and 18 minutes of total airtime while other contributions from the farming industry amounted to short and sporadic soundbites. This is hardly balanced.

“The ‘Veganville’ series did, conversely, highlight once again that there is a huge amount of public support for red meat and dairy products so it is strange, therefore, that the BBC persists with this agenda of providing so much airtime to this issue.

“The truth of the matter is that red meat and dairy products have an integral role to play in a healthy, balanced diet and remain a staple part of many UK consumers’ dietary choices.”

NFU Cymru has submitted a letter of complaint to the commissioning editor of the programme at the BBC about the lack of balance in this piece.

Members who feel any of its programmes, covering food and farming lack the balance that we would expect from the national broadcaster, are also being encouraged to submit an official complaint via the BBC website.