New fund for dairy farmers to open, says Minister

Households likely to struggle with cost of rents

A NEW dairy response fund to help support farmers through the coronavirus will open for applications later this month, Farming Minister Victoria Prentis has confirmed.

The new fund will provide up to £10,000 each to help those dairy farmers most in need of support to sustain their business, and will open on June 18.

Recognising that dairy farmers have fixed costs of production which some may have struggled to meet during the coronavirus outbreak, farmers in England who have experienced 25 per cent price losses in April and May will be able to apply for a single payment from the fund.

The funding, which will be paid out from July 6, will help farmers maintain production capacity without impacts on animal welfare, following reduced demand for milk products as restaurants, bars and cafes have closed.

Qualifying farmers can apply for support to cover up to 70 per cent of their losses due to coronavirus disruption across April and May, up to a total amount of £10,000 each.

Ms Prentis said: “Our dairy farmers have a vital role to play in feeding the nation and we want to ensure they are fully supported at this difficult time.

“The application process for our new dairy fund will begin shortly, helping farmers who have suffered losses to get the financial assistance they need to keep production going.

“There is no cap set on the number of farmers who can receive this support or on the total funding available, and we will do everything we can to help our farmers at this time.”

To be eligible for support from the fund, farmers will need to demonstrate that they have suffered a reduction in the base price paid for their milk of 25 per cent or more in April 2020 when compared to February 2020.

Eligible farmers will need to submit applications directly to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).