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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the state of the UK dairy sector.

This Government recognises that food security is national security, and that this requires a resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports our farmers, including those in the UK’s world leading dairy sector.

Our dairy industry is a vibrant and resilient sector worth £5-£6 billion at farm level, and many times that when the milk produced is processed into a diverse range of products and commodities. This has helped make the dairy industry the UK’s largest agricultural sector accounting for 19% of total 2023 UK agricultural output, bringing significant value to our economy.