More dairy farmers can now benefit from cash in the £5m dairy fund pot after Defra agreed to extend the deadline for applications.

The NFU had called on Defra to extend the fund to give more farmers the chance to apply for the money promised during the SOS Dairy Summit in July 2012. The fund aims to help farmers, who must be primary beneficiaries, to explore the potential of cooperating, investing in their business, collaborating around marketing and value added opportunities.

NFU dairy board chair Mansel Raymond said “The dairy fund is about supporting growth in the dairy industry. This result, that applications can still be received, is great news and I would encourage all dairy farmers to take this opportunity and give applying some serious thought. The funding is available to help meet the costs of setting up co-operative or collaborative projects and exploring new market opportunities.

“Having this money made available is essential to improve farmers’ competitiveness, and this is a real opportunity to boost collaboration in the dairy sector and ensure its long term sustainability.”

The NFU said it will be helping further by providing additional guidance on the types of projects most likely to attract funding. The deadline to apply for funding through the scheme has now been extended to Monday June 3 2013.