Farmers and supermarkets agree to reduce number of young calves killed for veal

Farmers, supermarkets and welfare groups have signed a pact to drastically reduce the number of calves allowed to die each year at milking farms.

Around 480,000 male calves are born to milking cows every year and most are killed at birth.

Some of the survivors are reared as beef cattle but a small proportion go to the continent to produce the white veal popular in Europe.

They are reared in cramped conditions and fed a restricted diet in a regime that would be illegal in Britain.

Now a scheme has been drawn up which will keep many of the 480,000 alive.