UK dairy farmers to receive one-off support payments

UK dairy farmers will receive a one-off support payment to help with their cash-flow problems stemming from the current low prices for milk and other produce.

In England, dairy farmers will share £15.5 million in recognition of the prolonged period of low prices in this particular farming sector. In England this will be a payment based on milk production, meaning that each farmer will receive on average £1,800.

Ministers in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have flexibility about how they wish to use their allocations to support dairy farmers. Northern Ireland has been given a boosted allocation – worth £5.1 million – in recognition that Northern Irish dairy farmers have been suffering from some of the lowest prices across Europe.

The UK’s overall direct aid package is worth £26.2 million, the third largest of all the member states.

Defra to work with industry on more consistent labelling and branding of dairy products

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said, “We recognise that many dairy farmers are suffering financial difficulty at the moment and the support announced today will offer some relief.

“Dairy farmers are a vital part of our £100 billion food and farming industry. I want to support the industry to become more resilient and ready to take advantage of the growing demand for British dairy both at home and overseas.

“While its right that the immediate focus is on support for farmers’ cash-flow it is equally important that we help build for the long term. Developing a futures market will help farmers manage volatility and we are pleased that the Commission is taking this forward. We are also working with the Commission to look at ways of bringing greater fairness and transparency to the supply chain, using the success of our Groceries Code Adjudicator as a model that could benefit the whole of Europe.”

Defra is also pursuing a host of measures to improve the long-term stability of the dairy industry and help farming businesses grow and thrive. This includes working with the food industry on more consistent labelling and branding of British dairy products, improving transparency across the supply chain and allocating more space on shop shelves.