Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help dairy farmers better manage market volatility.

I recognise that many farmers are struggling with the prolonged period of low prices.

The £26.2 million aid package we secured for the UK from the European Commission – and paid out in November and December – provided some immediate relief to hard-pressed farmers. From 1 April, farmers will be able to average their tax over five years instead of two, helping them deal with volatility between years. We are also looking at the development of a dairy futures market in the UK to allow farmers to fix their prices for longer periods.