Exmoor farmer exposes bluetongue testing funding collapse

Government spending on bluetongue (BTV-3) testing fell by almost three-quarters in a single year, newly released figures reveal.

Defra expenditure recorded for BTV-3 testing fell from £900,000 in 2024-25 to £230,000 in 2025-26, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The disclosure comes as the livestock industry faces a growing outbreak and mounting concerns over testing backlogs and disease surveillance capacity.

See also: Second laboratory opens to speed up bluetongue testing

The figures were obtained by Exmoor beef and sheep farmer and Conservative campaigner James Wright, who questioned Defra over spending on bluetongue surveillance and diagnostic testing in the South West.

The £670,000 reduction represents a fall of 74% in a single year.

Mr Wright said the reduction was difficult to understand as the disease continued to spread across livestock-producing areas.

James Wright © James Wright

“I asked a simple question. How much is being spent to protect our animals from bluetongue, and where is it going?” he said.

“The answer is that the spending has dropped from £900,000 to £230,000 in a single year, at the very moment the disease was taking hold across Devon and Somerset.

“Farmers have the right to know why the money fell as the threat rose.” 

Defra told Mr Wright it does not hold spending figures for the current financial year (2026-27) and that no dedicated budget is allocated specifically to bluetongue.

Instead, testing costs are met through wider animal health contracts covering a range of diseases.

Policy shift

From 1 July 2025, the bluetongue restricted zone was extended to cover the whole of England, ending movement controls and routine pre-movement testing within England, and vaccination has become the main preventive measure.

Farmers are responsible for arranging and funding vaccination through their vets, while Defra funds diagnostic testing for up to three suspected animals per case.

Any additional testing costs fall to the farmer. The department also said it does not hold regional data on bluetongue testing expenditure.

Mr Wright had requested a breakdown for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha) South West region, but Defra said it could provide only the national Great Britain totals.

The disclosure comes as pressure grows on the UK’s bluetongue testing system. A second laboratory is being opened at Apha’s Weybridge headquarters in Surrey to increase testing capacity and help tackle a growing backlog.

Latest situation

As of 27 August, 2,456 potential bluetongue cases were under investigation across Great Britain, according to official figures.

The same figures show that 670 premises had been confirmed with BTV-3 during the 2026-27 season – 610 in England, 49 in Wales and 11 in Scotland.

The government defines a confirmed case as a premises where at least one animal has tested positive for bluetongue. 

The backlog has raised concerns among farmers and vets about how quickly the disease can be tracked and how effectively outbreaks can be monitored.

Bluetongue can cause fever, facial swelling, lameness and loss of condition in sheep and cattle, and can be fatal in severe cases.

Mr Wright is calling for Defra to publish regional spending figures, restore surveillance funding in badly affected areas and clarify what support is available to farmers facing the outbreak.

“I will keep pressing until we get straight answers and real support,” he said. 

Defra response 

A Defra spokesman said: “This is an incredibly difficult time for animal keepers and vets who are on the frontline of this disease and we are monitoring the situation closely, including working with industry and Apha to understand any local pressures.

“Apha are supporting the testing facility in delivering advanced testing capacity meanwhile we are working with vaccine manufacturers to increase vaccine supplies so that farmers who have not already done so can vaccinate their livestock.”