Farmers furious after water regulator calls on shoppers to cut meat consumption

Meat promotion body Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) has described the claims as ‘misleading nonsense’.

Chief executive Gwyn Howells said: “If consumers choose to eat meat reared mainly on natural grass and produced to high standards of environmental sustainability, such as Welsh Beef and Welsh Lamb, they need have no concerns over the amount of water required to produce it.”

Other water companies, including United Utilities and Welsh Water, have tweeted similar claims as part of the Water Saving Week campaign.

Farmers Guardian understands Welsh Water has already apologised to upland farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, admitting the information was ‘misleading’.

Fire

Defra chief scientist Professor Ian Boyd has also come under fire for ‘liking’ Ofwat’s tweet.

Speaking at today’s NFU Council meeting, the union’s livestock board chairman Richard Findlay challenged Ofwat to concentrate on fixing leaks instead of ‘churning this tosh’.

An Ofwat spokesman said the campaign was ‘not anti-meat’, but refused to be drawn on whether they were aware the statistic used was widely contested.

“England and Wales face many challenges in ensuring we will have enough water in the future, and Waterwise’s Water Saving Week is a great way to highlight how we tackle them,” the spokesman added.