FAS Webinar – Livestock farming update with the RPA and CSF

Livestock systems in flux

English livestock farming faces converging pressures from technology, health policy and environmental regulation that demand immediate adaptation from keepers already operating in a post-Basic Payment Scheme landscape.

At the core is the Livestock Information Transformation Programme, which is phasing in the Livestock Information Service to replace the Cattle Tracing System by summer 2026. The new multispecies digital platform will allow movements of cattle, sheep, goats and deer to be reported through one system, cutting response times to disease incidents such as bovine tuberculosis and strengthening export assurances. Early pilots began in December 2025; full adoption will require keepers to master new online processes or risk gaps in traceability.

Parallel changes in the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway have raised payments for funded vet visits by an average 16% since 22 January 2026. Eligible cattle, sheep and pig farms now receive higher rates for annual health reviews and follow-up testing of endemic diseases, directly offsetting vet costs while encouraging data collection that feeds into national disease control.

On the environmental front, livestock operations remain a major source of diffuse pollution through slurry and manure runoff. Government proposals published 27 January 2026 seek to clarify and reduce duplication in the Farming Rules for Water without lowering standards, pairing enforcement with expanded Catchment Sensitive Farming support. CSF advisers, active in priority catchments, deliver free tailored plans that also qualify farms for capital grants covering slurry storage, low-emission flooring and related measures.

The overlaps create real tensions. Digital reporting and infrastructure upgrades impose upfront costs and learning curves that weigh heaviest on smaller holdings, even as payment uplifts and grants offer offsets. Industry groups have flagged concerns that any future extension of environmental permitting to cattle units could constrain herd expansion at a time when tight supplies already support firm beef and sheep prices. Non-compliance carries concrete penalties: cattle identification breaches have triggered fines above £5,000, while slurry pollution incidents have resulted in court orders exceeding £6,000 plus costs.