A report published today by Ruminant Revival has been sent to ministers in all four UK administrations, putting to each government the recommendations that sit within its powers.
The asks were drawn up at a Collaboration Day at Cairns Farm, West Lothian, in July, attended by the National Beef Association, the National Sheep Association, QMS and RSPB alongside working farmers and vets. In the two months since, bluetongue cases have climbed past last season’s total, and the virus has reached Scotland for the first time; England recorded its driest July in 190 years, and MSD Animal Health confirmed that the UK’s only licensed lungworm vaccine will be withdrawn after the 2027 season.
The report, Building Resilience into UK Beef and Sheep Farming, makes five recommendations to government. Which administration each falls to varies, since animal health, farm support and processing are devolved:
- Make food security, climate and environmental policy together, with the Westminster Government bringing forward a Food Security Act to set minimum domestic production levels and every UK administration putting a resourced delivery plan behind its net-zero targets.
- Coordinate animal health across the four administrations, including consistent vaccine availability, stronger border biosecurity, a resourced sheep scab eradication strategy and investment in electronic traceability.
- Build national surveillance for anthelmintic resistance and make testing data from farm payment schemes usable by farmers and vets.
- Fund the water, handling, fencing and habitat infrastructure that resilient grazing systems depend on.
- Focus on access to abattoir infrastructure, which is a growing barrier to food production.
The report also sets out actions for farmers and the wider industry, and outlines ten commitments from Ruminant Revival itself, including a national anthelmintic calculator to record wormer use and a referral route to up-to-date parasite advice in areas where local provision is thin.
Lee-Anne Oliver, farm vet and founder of Ruminant Revival, said: “This report comes straight from the people on the front line of British farming. Over the summer, we watched their worst warnings become reality. While the government’s emergency drought support was a vital lifeline, we cannot just keep patching up crises. This is our blueprint for building resilience ahead of the next dry spell by securing water infrastructure, adopting smarter grazing practices, and protecting animal health before the heat hits. The solutions are here, and we are putting them directly into the hands of the people who can make them happen.”
She added: “The asks of government are specific and most of them are not expensive. Consistent vaccine availability across the four nations, a proper national picture of wormer resistance, and support schemes that fund water and fencing infrastructure would each make a measurable difference to how this sector comes through the next difficult summer.”
Click the button above to read the full report. A follow-up webinar for the wider industry will be held later in the year.
