Asda has announced it will become the first supermarket to offer free-range milk, ensuring farmers are paid fairly and cows are treated humanely.
The product will go on sale from March 1 emblazoned with a “Pasture Promise” logo, which ensures the cows have grazed for at least six months of the year.
It also aims to help offer relief for dairy farmers who have endured a crisis in recent years, as a 25 per cent drop in the value of milk has made production more expensive than the milk itself.
Seventy-thousand litres of milk will be piled onto shelves each week in 109 of Asda‘s stores, costing 90p per litre and £1.50 for two.
Although most dairy farmers allow their cows to graze for a limited amount of time during the year, there are no industry guidelines set on how long a cow needs to stay outdoors.
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“We want to provide ranges for our customers that offer them great price, quality and choice,” Asda‘s senior category director Jenny Cannon said.
“We will be monitoring demand for the milk in all stores and will work closely with the Free Range Dairy Network to make sure the milk is available to as many customers as possible.”
World Animal Protection farming campaigns manager Ian Woodhurst added: “World Animal Protection’s Full Fact Milk campaign called for UK consumers to be able to choose milk that comes from cows that graze in fields.
“We are delighted that Asda is the first supermarket to do this with their new range of milk bearing the Pasture Promise label.
“We believe this is fantastic news for the welfare of cows, for consumers and for dairy farmers.
“We know that the British public are concerned about the welfare of cows in factory dairy farms and believe cows should be given the freedom to graze outdoors in fields.
“We hope that other supermarkets will follow Asda’s lead.”
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