Animal Health and Welfare Pathway.

The AHWP is a new government initiative aiming to push forward and support the gradual and continual improvement in farm animal health and welfare. The Pathway is a partnership, the government will work together on each step with farmers, vets, the wider industry, and the supply chain.

The pathway has 4 funding pathways with the aim to deliver health and welfare priorities, providing funding for high-quality veterinary advice, capital investment and ongoing costs.

• Annual Health and Welfare Review

• Animal Health and Welfare capital grants

• Disease eradication and control programs

• Payment-by-results (to be confirmed)

Animal health and welfare review - What is it?

• The Annual Health and Welfare Review is a funded annual visit from your vet of choice, this is separate from your Red Tractor Annual Health Review and cannot be used to fund this

• It can be undertaken whenever it works for you

• It will allow us to concentrate on your animals’ specific health and welfare priorities

• During the visit, we will provide you with bespoke advice and we have to carry out some diagnostic testing around endemic diseases

• For the first year the testing must be for BVD in cattle and worm egg counts in sheep

• You can have one agreement for a review every 10 months for one eligible type of livestock

Payment rates

The payment rates, which include the cost of your time, the vet’s time and the diagnostic testing have been agreed at:

• £684 for pigs

• £436 for sheep

• £522 for beef cattle

• £372 for dairy cattle

We will charge you for our services as normal and you will be paid directly by the APHA. The difference in the species rates is down to the cost of carrying out the diagnostic tests. Bulk milk BVD compared to young stock blood antibody screening.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible to apply you must have one of the following:

· 11 or more beef cattle

· 11 or more dairy cattle

· 21 or more sheep

· 51 or more pigs

The livestock must be registered in England and you must be responsible for their welfare.

It is initially only opening to farmers who are either eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) or anticipating making a BPS claim in 2023.

How do I apply?

https://apply-for-an-annual-health-and-welfare-review.defra.gov.uk/apply/start

You will need:

• Single business identifier number of the business registering

• Customer reference number - found on your original letter from the RPA when you first registered or call them for it

• Main email address linked to your business in the rural payments service

The review must be completed within 6 months of the registered start date

Contact us once registered and you have your Agreement Number to arrange a visit

If you have any queries, please get in touch

Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant

In 2023, grants to build new or refurbish existing calf housing will be made available for the beef and dairy sectors. The grant aims to improve the health and welfare of calves (up to 6 months old) by providing a good ambient environment and facilitating social contact through pair or group housing.

The grant will be competitive, so the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will prioritise calf housing projects that have the biggest impact on animal health and welfare and have considered innovation and environmental outcomes. You can apply for grants of between £15,000 and £500,000.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/calf-housing-for-health-and-welfare-2023/how-the-calf-housing-for-health-and-welfare-grant-works