Burton and Uttoxeter’s MP, Kate Griffiths, has welcomed new support announced by the Government to support dairy farmers impacted by COVID-19. Kate, alongside Staffordshire dairy farmers and the National Farmers Union (NFU) has been pushing the Government for more support to this crucial part of the local economy.
The package, announced by the Environment Secretary, George Eustice, will allow eligible dairy farmers in England to each access funding of up to £10,000 to support them through the COVID-19 pandemic. The lifeline will mean farmers are able recoup up to 70% of their lost income from April and May and ensure production can continue without an impact on animal welfare.
In addition to this, the Environment Secretary backed a £1 million campaign to boost the consumption of milk and help farmers manage their surplus stock. Also building on the Treasury’s earlier announcement to temporarily relax competition laws to help farmers meet the challenges of excess milk, falling prices, and reduced demand from cafes, pubs and eateries.
Kate said, “I know from speaking with dairy farmers locally this has been a very worrying time for them, concerned about the knock-on impact COVID-19 is having on supply chains and demand for milk.
Having called on the Government, along with dairy farmers and the NFU, for tailored support for this crucial part of our rural economy I am delighted and reassured an assistance package has been announced. I know this will be a great sigh of relief for dairy farmers here in Burton and Uttoxeter whose businesses can now carry on providing the nation with Staffordshire cows’ milk”.
Local dairy farmer and Staffordshire County Councillor David Brookes said, “There are many dairy farmers who have faced a desperate winter with already low milk prices and wet weather, having a negative impact on their businesses. Many faced being left high and dry with the closure of the services sector, many being told to tip milk away or reduce production. That would have been a disaster for businesses already suffering a cashflow crisis due to low prices of liquid milk.
I am eternally grateful to Kate and the other MPs who have put pressures on the Government to secure this vital support for dairy farmers. No doubt without the help from our local MPs, this support would not have been forthcoming.”
