Today, DEFRA have announced new funding which will enable dairy farmers in England to access up to £10,000 to overcome the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak.
The new funding is to support dairy farmers who have seen a decrease in demand and milk price over the last 2 months.
The funding is available for those who need it the most and eligible dairy farmers will be entitled up to £10,000 each to cover 70% of their lost income during April and May, this is to ensure they can continue to operate and sustain production while still providing excellent animal welfare.
Those dairy farmers who have lost more than 25% of their income over April and May, due to the impact of Coronavirus will be eligible to access this funding for those qualifying months. There is currently no cap set on the total funding available or the number of farmers that can receive this support.
At this stage, there is no confirmation of how this can be applied for or how quickly funds will be available. Rostons will continue to keep those in the dairy sector updated.
Tom Selby of Rostons states “It will be welcomed news for those milk producers who have not only seen a slump in milk price but have also been requested to decrease production. The scheme has been published due to pressure from the NFU and dairy farmers lobbying to the Ministers. We hope it is not too little too late for those who are impacted.”