Defra adopts refreshed bovine TB strategy for England

Defra has reaffirmed its goal of making England officially bovine TB-free by 2038 by formally adopting a refreshed strategy centred on expanded cattle testing, vaccination and wildlife surveillance.

The proposed strategy was originally published in June following a co-design process involving more than 100 farmers, vets, scientists, industry representatives and government officials.

It sets out five priorities: reducing cattle-to-cattle transmission, improving the use of disease data, developing new tools, strengthening local leadership and tackling infection risks from the wider environment.

See also: Analysis: Can England’s updated TB strategy deliver by 2038?

The announcement on Thursday, 5 November comes amid improving disease figures. The proportion of English herds under TB restrictions fell from 4.2% in June 2025 to 3.4% in June 2026.

Meanwhile, 20,244 cattle were slaughtered for TB control in the 12 months to June 2026, down 4% year on year and considerably below the peak of 34,518 in the 12 months to April 2018.

No badger culls

A significant policy shift is the end of badger culling, with no culls taking place in 2026 for the first time in more than a decade.

Defra will instead expand badger vaccination in high-risk areas, with three new schemes established in north Shropshire, north Worcestershire and south-east Oxfordshire this year. Further areas are planned for 2027 and 2028.

A government-funded programme to collect and test found-dead badgers will also begin in five high-risk-area counties this November, providing further evidence about wildlife infection.

On cattle, Defra is expanding mandatory interferon-gamma blood testing alongside the primary tuberculin skin test, particularly in herds with a history of persistent infection.

A pilot of privately funded ancillary blood testing is also under way, potentially giving farmers additional options for identifying infection earlier.

Cattle vaccination remains a longer-term ambition, with commercial deployment targeted for 2030.

An application for marketing authorisation for the CattleBCG candidate vaccine has been submitted to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), while Thermo Fisher has been contracted to manufacture the companion “Diva” diagnostic test, which will distinguish infected from vaccinated animals.

An application to the VMD for the Diva test is planned for 2028 once the required dossier of evidence has been completed.

The government will also replace the existing Bovine TB Partnership for England with a new industry-government strategy board, expected to be established in 2027.

Its first delivery plan is due in late spring 2027, with rolling three- to five-year plans and regular progress reports intended to improve accountability.

One unresolved issue is TB compensation. Defra is considering whether payments for compulsory slaughter should be more closely linked to proportionate biosecurity and herd-management expectations.

Compensation currently costs taxpayers between £25m and £30m net each year. Research commissioned by Defra suggests simply reducing payments would be unlikely to change farmers’ disease-management behaviour.

Industry reaction

Commenting on the updated strategy, Prof James Wood, a bovine TB expert from the University of Cambridge, said the government’s backing for a plan developed jointly with farmers, vets and scientists was encouraging.

However, he warned that the 2038 eradication target would require sufficient resources to deliver expanded testing and support on-farm disease prevention.

Prof Wood, who helped develop the new strategy, also highlighted uncertainty over the hiatus between ending badger culling and introducing cattle vaccination, although falling cattle infection rates offered some reassurance.

“We’ve got a long way to go still. It’s a long journey and we’re going to have to keep on pushing at this,” he told Farmers Weekly.

Sarah Tomlinson, an experienced Derbyshire vet and lead veterinary science expert at the AHDB, also helped with the design of the refreshed strategy.

She said: “A TB-free future for England is within reach, but achieving it will require continued commitment and collaboration across government, industry, vets and farmers.

“By maintaining momentum and building on the progress already made, we can reduce the impact of this devastating disease and create a healthier, more sustainable future for cattle, farming businesses and future generations.”

The NFU said it welcomed the fact that TB levels are now at their lowest in England for more than 20 years but said this had only been achieved through a suite of science-based measures, including wildlife control.

NFU deputy president Paul Tompkins said: “Government ambitions to continue developing strategy are welcome, but optimism alone will not see us through this critical stage of TB eradication.

“We need serious movement on other measures such as cattle and badger vaccination, and better data sharing to ensure we protect the progress made, and fast.

“While we wholly agree farmers should have access to more tests, including gamma blood tests, we are clear that these should not be mandatory. Rather, the appropriate form of testing should be determined by farmers and their vets.

“As ever, farmers remain steadfast in their commitment to TB eradication. There are multiple elements of this strategy that will help us get there, but only if policymakers bring farmers and industry with them and urgently plug the emerging gap in the strategy with practical, proven measures to maintain progress.”