Milk and milk products
Defra is responsible for milk production and marketing policy in England, UK policy on dairy aspects of the Common Agricultural Policy and milk quotas. Defra represents UK interests at the EU Management Committee for milk and milk products. The farmgate price for milk is updated by Defra Statistics around the ninth or tenth of each month.
Defra also has responsibility for sponsorship of the dairy industry in the UK, which includes sponsorship of DairyCo (formerly Milk Development Council). Export licence enquiries are the responsibility of Lincoln Animal Health Office (Tel: 01522 563132) Import licence enquiries are the responsibility of Chelmsford Animal Health Office (Tel: 01245 358383).
Milk Roadmap (2 May 2008)
The Dairy Supply Chain Forum's Milk Roadmap - the first stage of a comprehensive action plan, helping the dairy sector address the environmental footprint for the consumption and production of liquid milk. Commitments include:
- Milk producers - reducing the greenhouse gas balance from dairy farms by 20-30% between 1990 and 2020
- Primary production sector - boosting the number of dairy farmers taking part in environmental stewardship schemes to 65%, nutrient planning to 90% and animal health plans to 95%
- Milk processors - meeting or beating the energy and carbon dioxide reductions of the sector Climate Change Agreement
- Processors and packaging manufacturers - half of all milk packaging will come from recycled material by 2020
Get the Milk Roadmap and learn more about the work of the Dairy Supply Chain Forum
Latest news
1 September 2008 - Explanatory note: The Milk and Milk Products (Pupils in Education Establishments) (England) Regulations 2008.
3 July 2008 - Explanatory notes have been published for The Drinking Milk (England) Regulations 2008 and the Reporting of Prices of Milk Products (England) Regulations 2008.
9 June 2008 - Consultation on the proposed "Health Check" reforms of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and their potential impacts on the UK. Deadline for comments 1 September 2008.
16 May 2008 - At the Milk Management Committee on 16 May, a proposal which set out some changes to the EU School Milk Scheme was voted on. The key changes are:
- Member States will be required to offer scheme to all schools
- Posters will be required in entrances to schools offering EU subsidised milk
- The application period for submission of claims is reduced to 3 months
- New products eligible for the subsidy have been included. Member States may decide which to offer.
The proposal needs to be formally adopted by the Commission and then published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. We expect that it will apply from 1 August. Ahead of that, we will be considering how we implement these changes and will consult interested parties.
More...
See also
-
Department of Health for nutritional aspects of milk
-
Food Standards Agency for milk hygiene and labelling
-
International Animal Health (IAH) Division within Defra - responsible for imports and exports policy
-
Rural Payments Agency administers schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy
-
Farming for the future within Defra – responsible for policy relating to food security and food price inflation
Page last modified: 25 September 2008