Have your say: proposals for livestock health and welfare vet visits

At this year’s NFU Conference, Defra launched a consultation on making vet visits mandatory for cattle, sheep and pig farmers in England. The government wants to hear your views, as these will be key to shaping the final policy.

The consultation covers proposals to introduce a new phase of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Proposals are designed to help farmers and vets work more closely together to improve the health, welfare and biosecurity of livestock, because the best way to fight disease is to prevent it taking hold in the first place.

So far, the government have already funded over 11,500 vet-led reviews for cattle, sheep and pig keepers. The evidence from this is clear: early intervention works.