The Government has announced a new Dairy Response Fund. Eligible English dairy farmers will be able to apply for up to £10,000 if they are facing financial difficulties as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. The payment is designed to help farmers meet their fixed costs and sustain production capacity without impacting animal welfare.
The Farming Minister, Victoria Prentice confirmed that the scheme would open for applications on 18 June and farmers will be asked to submit their applications directly to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). Payments will be expected from 6 July and will be made as a single one-off payment, up to a maximum of £10,000 to cover around 70% of eligible farmer’s lost income during April and May.
Dairy farmers will need to demonstrate that they have suffered a reduction in the base price paid for their milk of 25% or more in April when compared to February 2020. Although details of the application process have not yet been published by the RPA, farmers can prepare for their application by gathering details of their production levels for February, April and May 2020.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19): information for farmers, landowners and rural businesses
