Government agrees to dairy farmer support after MP’s plea
- After weeks of lobbying by MP Chris Loder, government agrees to UK-wide support fund for dairy farmers facing the challenges of coronavirus
- Eligible dairy farmers able to access up to £10,000 of support each
- Cross-industry £1 million campaign to drive consumer demand for milk is launched
West Dorset MP, Chris Loder, who has been lobbying farm ministers on behalf of local dairy farmers said: ‘‘This dairy support fund has been the result of weeks of hard lobbying with the government. It’s taken longer than I’d like, but it will now help farmers who need the help most”.
England’s dairy farmers will be able to access up to £10,000 each to help them overcome the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The new funding will help support dairy farmers – who together continue to produce over 40 million litres of milk every day – who have seen decreased demand for their products as bars, restaurants and cafes have had to close.
The MP, who raised an alarm bell weeks ago in the House of Commons with the Leader of the House, Jacob Rees-Mogg on the first day of Westminster’s new hybrid Parliament, has subsequently challenged the Secretary of State for Farming and the Cabinet Office on the urgency facing Britain’s farmers and food supply chain. He has also been in weekly conference calls with ministers, advisors and farming representatives and has corresponded with most farmers across the entire constituency.
- Pic: Chris Loder MP, at home on the family farm in West Dorset
- Chris Loder MP raises a question in the House of Commons on 21st April 2020 https://youtu.be/k0Z5uaFOse4 [includes full speech text]
- DEFRA Press Release in full 6th May 2020: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-funding-to-support-dairy-farmers-through-coronavirus
