Alleged animal abuse in US dairy sector under investigation

Claims of violent treatment and cows being passed off as organic have been presented to the Department of Agriculture

Evidence of what appears to be aggressive animal abuse, practices leading to heightened disease risk and cows being passed off as organic at a Texan auctioneers has been presented to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) by undercover welfare investigators. A second, separate abuse investigation at a dairy farm is on its way to court in California.

The allegations come at a time of upheaval for US dairy. The first half of 2020 was blighted by Covid-19-related milk dumping, 10-year price lows and a slump in demand from schools and restaurants.

But by July, a combination of stay-at-home orders, financial handouts to US citizens and government food program purchasing saw the spot cheddar price, a key dairy indicator, set a record high of $3 (2.30) a pound, according to Tom Bailey, a senior US dairy market analyst at Rabobank.