The Hindu : International : Mad cow spurs new farm practices

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 28, 2005

International

International

Mad cow spurs new farm practices

By Gargi Parsai

A cow is numbered in Alberta, Canada. The cattle industry believes it's time to look at a cull of older animals after two cows tested positive for mad cow disease. — AP

Brandenburg, (Germany), Jan. 27. The outbreak of mad cow and foot-and-mouth diseases in Europe which led to slaughtering of thousands of cattle and caused huge losses to farmers has spurred new farm practices which focus on protection of animals.

During a visit to one such farm of Wiesenhof Stengel — on the sidelines of the International Green Week at Berlin — visiting journalists were a witness to animals fed on organic, non-pesticide, non-genetically engineered and non-additive foods.

As a member of the Neuland quality meat programme, Mr. Stengel is bound to follow a strict regimen for the animals on his farm.

The young and progressive farmer who lived in former East Germany, lost no time in getting himself educated with the latest on-farm practices and technologies in Berlin after the unification of Germany in 1990.

"Before that our farm was all but gone. It was a family farm but under the previous [political] system we were not making any money. There were no new technology or techniques, no exchange of knowledge or information. And we had no money to invest on infrastructure,'' he said. But when he returned he was still sceptical. Then he heard of the Neuland quality meat programme which was being run on the lines of a cooperative. Besides, it was a programme that was an alternative to a policy of "inappropriate agriculture'', cruel to animals and ecologically harmful.

Strict guidelines

The guidelines set by the NGO-run Neuland were strict: the owning on straw, daylight in stables, free movement outside the barns, no over-fertilisation, production of only ecological good manure, open to inspection, and of course no GM foods or pesticides on the meadows. And, the farms must be family owned.

From the modest 24 hectares that he inherited half of which was on rent, today Mr. Stengel has 135 hectares.

He grows his own wheat and hay on half of it which he uses as cattle feed. The shed is constantly being renovated to keep the 150 cows, calves and bulls safe and comfortable — before they are slaughtered to produce quality meat.

Middlemen eliminated

Neuland has eliminated the middleman and the farmers sell directly to the market, mostly in Berlin. It helps with not only getting investments but with the technical know-how on the upkeep of animals, their feed, transportation and slaughtering. Mr. Stengel has an annual turnover of euros 105,000. The cost of this quality meat is 20 to 30 per cent higher than the conventional meat, but there are discerning consumers and their number is growing.

"We have strong political will to show how we can do things differently. We are now tying up with farmers in Switzerland and France, '' said Mr. Muller, from the local Flaeming district Administration. Like several farmers, Mr. Stengel has also opened his farm for agro-tourism which gives an opportunity to visitors to learn about their origins. "City-bred visitors feel excited about holding an egg in their hand or feeding the cattle,'' he said.

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