Collection

Funding to improve animal health and welfare: guidance for farmers and vets

Cattle, pig and sheep farmers can get funding for vet services. This includes disease testing and advice to improve welfare and productivity.

This service used to be the annual health and welfare review. It has been expanded to include:

  • changes to the review, which is now called the animal health and welfare review
  • the second part of the service, which is the endemic disease follow-up

This service provides funding for farm visits to: 

  • reduce endemic diseases and conditions 
  • increase animal productivity  
  • improve animal welfare

A vet, or a team chosen by a vet, can do these visits.

There are 2 parts to the service:

  • animal health and welfare review
  • endemic disease follow-up

Endemic disease follow-up is not available for dairy cattle yet. This part of the service will be available soon.

Farmers: apply for funding

Farmers should read this guidance to find out:

  • what the service is
  • how much you could get
  • whether you’re eligible

Farmers and vets: arrange and do a review

Farmer and vets should read this guidance to find out what:

  • farmers must ask vets to do on an annual health and welfare review
  • disease and condition testing is required
  • documentation farmers need to claim funding

Vets: how to do a review

Farmers should ask vets to read this guidance to find out:

  • how to do the required sampling for testing
  • laboratory requirements for testing
  • what advice to give farmers as part of a review

Vets need to follow the guidance so that farmers are eligible to claim.

Farmers: claim funding for the review

Farmers should read this guidance to find out:

  • when to claim for a review
  • what information to provide when you claim funding

Farmers and vets: arrange and do a follow-up

Farmer and vets should read this guidance to find out what:

  • farmers must ask vets to do on an endemic disease follow-up
  • disease and condition testing is required
  • documentation farmers need to claim funding

Vets: how to do a follow-up

Farmers should ask vets to read this guidance to find out:

  • how to do the required sampling for testing
  • laboratory requirements for testing
  • what advice to give farmers as part of a follow-up

Vets need to follow the guidance so that farmers are eligible to claim.

Farmers: claim funding for the follow-up

Farmers should read this guidance to find out:

  • when to claim for a follow-up
  • what information to provide when you claim

Terms and conditions

Farmers who enter into an agreement to get funding to improve animal health and welfare must follow the agreement terms and conditions.

Other sources of funding

Published 19 June 2024