22 Feb 2022
Full details of how much farmers will get was unveiled by secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs in a speech to NFU Conference today (22 February).
Paul Imrie
Job Title
"Official portrait of George Eustice MP" by Fæ is licensed under CC BY 3.0
Secretary of state for Defra George Eustice today (22 February) outlined payments of up to £680 to farmers to pay for annual health check visits by vets.
In a speech to NFU Conference at 2pm, Mr Eustice outlined details of the Government’s Animal Health and Welfare Pathway – a programme of financial support for farmers across the pig, cattle, sheep and poultry sectors, and based on key animal health and welfare priorities.
Mr Eustice first mooted the idea of payments to encourage farmers to pay vets for annual herd-health checks last summer as part of post-Brexit farming funding plans.
Later this year, the Government will initially offer cattle, sheep and pig farmers eligible under the Basic Payment Scheme a grant for an annual visit from a vet of their choice for diagnostic testing, to review biosecurity and responsible use of medicines, and provide health advice.
Defra has today confirmed that the payments for farmers for vet checks – drawn up in collaboration with the farming industry – would be £684 for pigs, £522 for beef cattle, £436 for sheep and £372 for dairy cattle. Farms will be able to negotiate the checks with vets, and Defra did not expect to see receipts.
Mr Eustice outlined the vet visit, the Annual Health and Welfare Review, would be two to three hours, and each farmer would receive a report on achievable actions to improve health and welfare afterwards. Its contents would be between the farm and vet, and not shared with Defra.
The review would be bespoke to each farm, with the farmer and vet deciding on priorities, but would also involve testing, including for bovine viral diarrhoea in cattle, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome in pigs.
Mr Eustice told the conference he was outlining his vision for internationally competitive livestock sectors. He said: “The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway is for those farmers who are in pursuit of higher profitability through better health outcomes, and it starts with an annual vet visit.
“Farmers will be able to have a vet of their choice, the family vet that they trust, and the Government will pay. That vet will be able to help the farmer put together a plan for improved animal health and improved profitability on their livestock holding.”
CVO Christine Middlemiss said: “I hope to see wide-scale adoption of the Annual Health and Welfare Review as part of normal business practice, more farmers taking action to improve health and welfare, and improved outcomes when it comes to endemic diseases and conditions – which will improve animal health welfare and reduce waste, antibiotic use and financial losses.”
