Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her Department has provided for research into the dairy farming sector in each of the last five years.
Answer
The following table shows the funding DEFRA has provided for research into the dairy farming sector in each of the last five years for which figures are available. This includes:"Research to quantify and improve the environmental performance of dairy farming, including research on: genetic improvement of forage crops and livestock; measurement of emissions to air and water; animal nutrition, pasture and forage agronomy; and manure and slurry management. This research includes work relevant to dairy as well as other livestock sectors.""Research to improve the health and welfare of dairy cows, including research on: bovine tuberculosis (TB); uterine disease; bovine mastitis; alleviation of lameness; welfare of dairy cows in organic milk production systems; early lameness detection; welfare of continuously housed dairy cows; and identifying and characterising robust dairy cows. The TB research included, which is relevant to the whole cattle industry, does not include work on the randomised badger culling trial."
| Financial year | Research spend (£000) |
| 2005-06 | 13,959 |
| 2006-07 | 14,798 |
| 2007-08 | 14,150 |
| 2008-09 | 12,086 |
| 2009-10 | 16,340 |
| Total | 71,333 |