FARM Presents Survey Results at Town Hall
January 5, 2022
FARM Program stakeholders identified care for sick animals, calves, and non-ambulatory cattle as dairy’s greatest priority to maintain focus on for Version 5 of FARM’s Animal Care Program as determined by an industry wide survey distributed through the fall with results presented at a virtual town hall Dec. 14.
The survey was intended to collect feedback from farmers, veterinarians, cooperatives, processors, and others within the dairy supply chain as planning commences for Version 5 of FARM Animal Care which will launch July 1, 2024. The survey questions were developed following a series of focus groups hosted last August by the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program. FARM received 682 complete responses, and staff were able to identify potential refinement opportunities for the next program cycle in addition to the top animal care priorities from stakeholders.
The survey also showed general support for making minor modifications and adding clarity to the FARM Animal Care Program while avoiding large overhauls. Most survey respondents, including farmers, showed they would willingly support small changes to better address animal care vulnerabilities. Respondents also were in consensus that standards that aren’t direct measures of good animal welfare practices should be updated to prioritize an outcomes-based approach.
For more information, visit the Version 5 development page.
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