Apply for COVID-19 farming grants urges Neil Hamilton MS

NEIL Hamilton, MS for Mid & and West Wales, and Leader of UKIP Wales is urging dairy farmers in his region to make sure they apply for a support grant to help them through the coronavirus crisis.

Mr Hamilton, a member of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs committee, is calling on those eligible, to apply for up to £10,000 to cover around 70% of their loss of income.

He said:

“Applications for the Welsh Dairy Support Scheme will open on June 18 and I am urging farmers to make sure they apply and get the financial help they need and deserve.

“I have constantly been demanding action from the Welsh Government and calling for financial support to help our dairy farmers who have been hardest hit by the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak.

“Farmers are under increasing pressure as several of their normal markets are no longer available to them. The price of milk has dropped and farms are forced to sell at a loss and even having to throw gallons of milk away.

“It is vital the dairy sector is protected and I am pleased the Welsh Government has now stepped in to offer much needed support. However, I do share NFU Cymru’s concerns for those farmers who may not be eligible and hope they will not be forgotten.

“This is not just about protecting farmers, it is also about saving the future of rural Welsh communities and economies.”

The Welsh dairy support scheme has been designed to support dairy producers to maintain production capacity during this challenging period. The scheme application window will be open until August 14 2020.

Through the fund, eligible dairy farmers will need to demonstrate they have suffered a reduction of 25% or more in the average price paid for their milk in April and subsequently May, when compared to February 2020.

Eligible farmers will be entitled to up to £10,000, to cover around 70% of their lost income to help them to continue to meet fixed costs and sustain production capacity without impacts on animal welfare and the environment.

The support has been welcomed by NFU Cymru but they expressed concern for those whose businesses may not meet the eligibility threshold for the scheme but have, nonetheless, been severely impacted as the Coronavirus crisis has unfolded.

NFU Cymru Dairy Board Chair Abi Reader said:

“The scheme will shortly open for applications and the Minister has confirmed that once the necessary documentation has been submitted and validated that payments will be made within 10 days. Given the severe and immediate financial impact the overnight closure of the food service sector had on dairy farmers supplying processors to these markets, it is imperative that we make the application process as efficient as possible and I very much hope that validation and payment can be made without delay.

“It is vital that this support gets to those producers hardest hit by the loss of markets as a result of Covid- 19. When the Minister announced the scheme last month, she confirmed that the eligibility criteria would cover those dairy farmers who had lost 25% of their income in April and subsequently May. The Welsh Government has subsequently amended the eligibility to a scheme based on a 25% reduction of milk price rather than income. While on the face of it this may not appear significant, it potentially has implications for farmers who have had to reduce the amount of milk they supply to their processor as a result of the exceptional market conditions.

“I am concerned that the revised criteria may not fit in with the actual events that have happened on farm this April and May. As the scheme is rolled out we will be monitoring the situation closely and feeding in our views directly to the Minister and to her officials through the Dairy Focus Group. I am sure we all want to make sure that those impacted most get the support they need at this time.”