By George Minish, guest columnist

Now, I am not an educated man by any means. I only went to school because that’s where the bus stopped, but I find it incredulous that people – snowflakes, I believe they’re called – can sit behind a screen under a pseudonym and blame farmers for every ill in the world.

I had an interaction with one such person this morning, who believed that farmers were responsible for animals being ritually slaughtered without stunning prior to bleeding.

The fact of the matter is, farmers have no control over what happens once an animal enters an abattoir.

Furthermore, they also have no control over who buys that animal at a live auction market.

Yes, they can choose to sell stock to a small local abattoir who pre-stun, but that market is small, and decreasing all the time due to regulations

But the activists and animal welfare lobby seem hell-bent on blaming the farmer. Is this because they know the farmer can’t afford to challenge them?

They never seem to take on the big meat processing companies who can afford to defend themselves through the legal route.

I completely disagree with any form of ritual slaughter, there is no need for such barbaric practices in modern times…yet it continues on a supply and demand basis, rightly or wrongly.

‘Stop and think’

But, I digress. I would just like to ask people to stop and think for a moment before blaming the farming community for everything… look closer at the bigger picture.

I do not hide behind any false name, my [social media] profile is who I am and I will engage with any rational person.

George Minish is the herdsman for the Wyevalley Herd, the most north-easterly dairy herd in England.