§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what additional assistance she plans to give to dairy farmers; and if she will make a statement. [163524]
§ Alun MichaelUK dairy farmers already benefit from aid under the CAP worth around £2 billion for the EU. This will include for the first time, from this year, direct payments to dairy farmers, in addition to market support measures.
The Government are also taking action in line with their Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food to facilitate industry action to address the causes of low farmgate prices and to adapt to the new conditions created by the reformed CAP. For example:
my noble friend Lord Whitty has been chairing meetings of a Dairy Supply Chain Forum, which has been looking at collaborative solutions to improve supply chain efficiency, as well as other issues.The Government have made a grant of nearly £0.5 million to the Food Chain Centre to examine how to improve dairy supply chain efficiency; andwe have established English Food and Farming Partnerships to encourage co-operation and collaboration across all agricultural sectors.