§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to help dairy farmers in East Sussex. [126296]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 20 June 2000]Following the Prime Minister's Action Plan for Farming, dairy farmers in East Sussex will share in the £22.1 million in agrimonetary compensation being paid to UK dairy farmers in the autumn. Dairy hygiene inspection charges, worth almost £1 million for English dairy farmers, were abolished in the spring. Last autumn's deferral of cattle passport charges was worth some £12 million to dairy farmers.
The Government also facilitated the generic milk promotion campaign. The abolition of the OTMS weight limit also is a significant benefit to dairy farmers.