Dairy farmers urged to apply for EU funding

Scottish dairy farmers are being offered the chance to apply for their share of £2.4 million in EU funding.

The funding forms part of a European-wide £350m fund, established last year, to “contribute to market stabilisation”.

The UK was allocated £25m and Scotland’s share is £2.4m.

The Scottish Government confirmed that the application window was now open to apply for this funding.

It said the funding was targeted towards the country’s hardest hit dairy farmers to encourage the widespread uptake of milk recording and production profiling techniques.

These measures would give dairy farmers the information they needed to help make informed business decisions.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “It is clear that some farmers suffered more than others during the latest period of market instability, which put severe downward pressure on dairy farmgate prices.

“It is therefore only right that we deploy this EU funding to support those who were at the lower end of the milk price table.

“After taking account of the views of our stakeholders, I have decided to offer dairy farmers graduated support payments ranging from a maximum of £4,000 to a minimum payment of £1,000 towards the cost of implementing key management tools.

“This will enable farmers to take control of their own costs and drive stability.

“I would therefore urge everyone who wishes to do so to submit their application as soon as possible.”

Funding of £3,250 will be made available to farmers who were paid less than 20p a litre in 2016.

Those who were paid between 20 and 25p a litre will get £2,000 each, while those who received more than 25p a litre will receive £1,000.

Meanwhile, Arla has confirmed a price decrease for April 1.

The European farmers’ co-operative, which buys milk from one in four UK dairy farmers, will reduce its milk price by 0.42p at the start of next month.