Coronavirus: New £1m dairy promotional push announced

Processors and farmers who are facing difficulties as a result of the closure of foodservice outlets will be supported
Processors and farmers who are facing difficulties as a result of the closure of foodservice outlets will be supported

A new £1 million consumer campaign will highlight the role dairy plays in people's lives during Covid-19 lockdown.

The 12-week promotional push has been launched by industry groups in partnership with the government.

It is in response to the closure of restaurants and food outlets, which has meant that many producers have excess milk that might otherwise go to waste.

With this sudden closure, some dairy farmers have lost their market and are continuing to struggle with the virus's impact.

The initiative will focus on tea, coffee and milky drink habits as they have the largest milk volume opportunity.

It will be funded through a combination of £500,000 from the government, £300,000 from Dairy UK members and £200,000 from AHDB.

The campaign will appear on social media, digital and, for the first time in over a decade, on television.

Dairy Secretary George Eustice said the government is backing this campaign to drive milk consumption and boost sales.

“We have already relaxed competition rules so dairy farmers can work more closely together on the challenges they are facing, and will continue to support them through this difficult period.”

The campaign wants to highlight the central role that dairy plays as part of everyday life, Christine Watts, AHDB's chief marketing officer, added.

"We want to remind people of the importance of taking a moment to connect with each other while enjoying the foods they love, even if it is remotely.

"We can still take a moment for ourselves and others in these most challenging of times and we can still enjoy nutritious dairy," she said.

It comes as the government announced a new hardship fund to enable dairy farmers in England to access up to £10,000 each.