£400,000 of ‘urgent additional funding’ will be given the Island’s dairy sector in response to the ‘unprecedented costs’ farmers are facing following the summer’s extreme weather and global supply chain issues.
The one-off payment was approved by Jersey’s Economic Development Minister, Deputy Kirsten Morel, and will be funded from underspends in his department’s budget.
The funds will be used as an ‘interim measure’ to manage the cost of feed importation and ensure the dairy industry’s ‘viability’ in the short term.
Deputy Morel said: ‘We know that farmers have been under significant pressure over recent months with significant increases in the costs of fuel and feed and drought conditions over the summer months.
‘Jersey’s dairy farmers are important not only to ensure our high quality, and internationally recognised milk but also as custodians of our Island’s natural environment and landscape which they do so much to protect.
‘This money will be used to help manage the shock of the cost of feed importation, which will have to be managed throughout the coming winter, it is an important interim measure while we work to secure more long-term security for our rural economy.’
