Free on-farm vet visits help to secure equipment grants

Livestock farmers in England can apply for a series of free annual vet visits on farm to check for diseases and receive biosecurity recommendations and tailored animal health and welfare advice.

The visits are provided through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, with funding of £557 available for a pig review, £436 for sheep, £522 for beef, and £372 for dairy for the initial visit.

Further funding is also available for follow-up visits looking at endemic diseases.

See also: Cranswick pig farm suspended after welfare abuse claims

By having a vet check carried out, farm businesses can also increase their likelihood of receiving funding through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF).

The latest round of the FETF fund is due to open on 29 May with grants of between £1,000 and £25,000 available towards the cost of farming equipment.

Defra guidance states that farm businesses can increase their application score by 20% if they provide evidence that the application has been discussed with a vet.

Farms are required to have received vet advice on the FETF application after 1 January 2025 and before it is submitted for it to be eligible to increase the score.  

John Powell, head of agricultural sectors at Defra, said financial support from the government was available now for producers to help increase productivity of their businesses by improving the health and welfare of livestock.

Mr Powell added that farm businesses could choose which vet practice carries out the visits and they can be used towards certification for assurance schemes and also vet attestation certificates.

He reiterated that the visits were not an inspection and it was up to the farmer and the vet to decide which issues to focus on.

“From this summer, you will be able to apply for visits that cover multiple herds and flocks of the same species,” said Mr Powell.

“That means businesses both big and small can be covered by this service.”

Applications for both vet visits and FETF grant funding can be made on the Defra website.