皇家华人

NFU voices concerns over bluetongue control policy to government

20 June 2025

NFU President Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru President Aled Jones

NFU President Tom Bradshaw and NFU Cymru President Aled Jones have written to government ministers for England and Wales, raising their joint concerns over the pre-movement testing requirements for livestock moving from England into Wales.

A joint letter, raising the concerns of livestock keepers in England and Wales over recently announced bluetongue control measures, has been sent to Defra minister Baroness Hayman and Welsh Government's Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies MS.听

Despite a Welsh Government announcement today, confirming that fully vaccinated cattle with the Bultavo- 3 vaccine can move to Wales with a specific licence and without a pre-movement test, concerns remain for sheep keepers who are still hugely impacted by the initial control measures put in place.听

And the financial burden, as well as the practicalities of testing and the strain the measures will put on trade, present ongoing worries for livestock keepers on both sides of the border.

A balance to be struck

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: 鈥淔armers care passionately about the health and welfare of their animals, and we all agree on the importance of controlling disease. With the advance of Bluetongue over the past two years there has always needed to be a balance between the potential impact of the disease on welfare and productivity and the associated costs for government, farmers and allied industries.

鈥淗owever, the costly and impractical requirement for pre-movement testing to move stock into Wales and, we anticipate, Scotland, is causing immense concern among many livestock farmers. With pre-movement testing no longer free and increased paperwork, the costs and administrative burden could be substantial.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why, together with NFU Cymru President Aled Jones, I have written to the Defra Minister, the Deputy First Minister, and the Chief Veterinary Officers for both Wales and England. We are urging them to consider the real-world impact of this approach.

鈥淚t is essential we find a workable solution that protects animal health while supporting farmers on both sides of the border.鈥澨�

Control costs unsustainable

NFU Cymru President Aled Jones added: 鈥淲e have been inundated with calls from our members concerned about the costs and practicality associated with moving livestock from England to Wales from 1 July. We question whether an impact assessment on the economic feasibility of these Bluetongue control measures has been properly considered. 听
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鈥淢ovements of livestock between England and Wales are essential for farm management and trade purposes, however the costs of these current controls are ones that farming businesses and the supply chain, including markets, cannot sustain.

鈥淲e are asking our ministers to consider financial assistance to impacted livestock keepers, to remove or minimise the prohibitive cost of pre-movement testing.
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鈥淲e need a sustainable solution which negates the need for excessive testing and licencing. Our governments must balance the impact of the disease against the potential huge costs of the industry delivering and complying with the controls.鈥�

Read:

Dear Minister,

NFU Cymru and the NFU are united that the control of bluetongue among ruminants across GB must be managed practically and cost effectively. However, the decision to introduce pre-movement testing for livestock, leaving the English bluetongue restricted zone to cross the border to Wales from 1st July has been received with concern by livestock keepers on both sides of the border. We would question whether there has been a full impact assessment of the economic feasibility of the decision, as initial assessment by our members suggest that the costs are prohibitive.

While we understand that movement restrictions have slowed the progression of disease and have allowed time for animal keepers to consider vaccination, the financial and resource burden resulting from the imposition of movement restrictions, licencing and pre-movement testing on the livestock sector appears disproportionate to the impact we have seen from the disease so far.

We have heard from our members their concern at the practical implications of this policy decision. They question whether there is the capacity within IAH Pirbright and private laboratories to test and report promptly on the tens of thousands of blood tests this policy may require, and this is a concern we share.

The cost of laboratory testing, additional gathering of animals and private vet time to carry out testing is a cost that the sector cannot sustain. Movements will be severely curtailed. This will impact thousands of farming businesses, which will need to move animals for welfare, management and trade purposes and the supporting supply chain, including markets.

We urge Defra, the Welsh and Scottish Governments to converge financial assistance to livestock keepers in order to remove or minimise the prohibitive cost of pre-movement testing. Meanwhile we wish to work with you to explore how free testing could be delivered for a time limited period or a maximum period based on laboratory capacity.

We must ensure that a sustainable solution is found without delay, and which negates the need for excessive testing and licencing. Our Governments must balance the impact of the disease against the potential huge costs of the industry delivering and complying with the controls. We would welcome an opportunity to meet with you to discuss a more pragmatic way forward.

Yours sincerely,

Tom Bradshaw
NFU President

Aled Jones
NFU Cymru President

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