Transparency data

May 2025

Updated 1 May 2025

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Compensation for Bovine TB, Brucellosis, and Enzootic Bovine Leukosis – May 2025

Compensation payable during May 2025, in England for a bovine animal compulsorily slaughtered for Bovine TB, Brucellosis and EBL disease control purposes will be as detailed below.

Non-pedigree bovine categories

Beef sector

Male (age) Compensation due (£/head)
Up to and including 3 months 410
Over 3 months up to and including 6 months 755
Over 6 months up to and including 9 months 1,176
Over 9 months up to and including 12 months 1,672
Over 12 months up to and including 16 months 1,827
Over 16 months up to and including 20 months 1,982
Over 20 months, non-breeding bulls 2,237
Over 20 months, breeding bulls 2,767
Female (age) Compensation due (£/head)
Up to and including 3 months 323
Over 3 months up to and including 6 months 631
Over 6 months up to and including 9 months 977
Over 9 months up to and including 12 months 1,459
Over 12 months up to and including 16 months 1,571
Over 16 months up to and including 20 months (including calved) 1,743
Over 20 months, not calved 2,028
Over 20 months, calved 1,707

Dairy sector

Male (age) Compensation due (£/head)
Up to and including 3 months 136
Over 3 months up to and including 6 months 410
Over 6 months up to and including 12 months 756
Over 12 months up to and including 16 months 1,337
Over 16 months up to and including 20 months 1,557
Over 20 months 1,738
Female (age) Compensation due (£/head)
Up to and including 3 months 154
Over 3 months up to and including 6 months 419
Over 6 months up to and including 12 months 708
Over 12 months up to and including 16 months 1,035
Over 16 months up to and including 20 months 1,205
Over 20 months up to and including 84 months, calved 2,010
Over 20 months up to and including 84 months, not calved 1,492
Over 84 months 1,413

Table of pedigree bovine categories

Where ‘IV’ is shown, compensation to be determined using individual valuation.

Beef sector

Male (age) - applies to entire males (bulls) only. Steers receive non-pedigree compensation Compensation due (£/head)
Up to and including 6 months IV
Over 6 months up to and including 12 months IV
Over 12 months up to and including 24 months 7,470
Over 24 months, bulls 3,430
Female (age) Compensation due (£/head)
Up to and including 6 months IV
Over 6 months up to and including 12 months 2,145
Over 12 months up to and including 24 months 2,618
Over 24 months, not calved 2,259
Over 24 months up to and including 36 months, calved IV
Over 36 months, calved 1,699

Dairy sector

Male (age) - applies to entire males (bulls) only. Steers receive non-pedigree compensation Compensation due (£/head)
Up to and including 2 months IV
Over 2 months up to and including 12 months IV
Over 12 months up to and including 24 months 2,971
Over 24 months, bulls IV
Female (age) Compensation due (£/head)
Up to and including 2 months IV
Over 2 months up to and including 10 months 1,273
Over 10 months up to and including 18 months 1,223
Over 18 months, not calved 1,632
Over 18 months up to and including 36 months, calved 2,324
Over 36 months up to and including 84 months, calved 2,113
Over 84 months, calved 1,502

Notes

The above table details the compensation payable for those animals slaughtered because they are either affected with bovine TB, BSE, Brucellosis or EBL or are suspected of having one of these diseases; or are the offspring or cohorts of confirmed BSE cases.

Compensation for bovine animals slaughtered for Bovine TB, EBL and Brucellosis is calculated in England under the Cattle Compensation (England) Order 2019 (based upon average livestock market prices for the relevant categories) and the Individual Ascertainment of Value (England) Order 2019. Compensation for bovine animals slaughtered for BSE is calculated in England under the TSE (England) Regulations 2018, in Wales under the TSE (Wales) Regulations 2018, and in Scotland under the TSE (Scotland) Regulations 2010 (as amended), which use data from the same system as England.

Table valuations are entirely objective and based on real market data. Rates for the 51 cattle categories are determined using large amounts of contemporaneous sales data for same category, but disease free, cattle. Sales data for around 1.4m cattle is collected each year to support table valuations. For non-pedigree table values one month’s sales data is used, whereas six months’ data is used to determine table values for pedigree animals to ensure that data from either of the key sales periods in spring or autumn is included in the calculation.

The values in the table of categories above have been derived from sales information obtained from store markets, prime markets, rearing calf sales, breeding sales and dispersal sales in Great Britain between 20 March 2025 and 20 April 2025 for non-pedigree animals, and between 21 October 2024 and 20 April 2025 for pedigree animals.

Each calendar year, a statistical analysis of sales data collected during a twelve-month period, is carried out to determine the minimum number of sales records required to enable Defra to have 95% confidence that the market price calculated for each category is within 20% of the population mean (all cattle sales for that category). This statistical data has helped Defra identify the level of variability in sales prices for each category. This intelligence is used to determine when there is insufficient data to support a table valuation for any particular category.

Where the Secretary of State considers that the sales data for any particular bovine category in any given month are inadequate, or such price data is unavailable, the compensation payable will either be at the level of the most recently ascertained value for the same category, or alternatively the Secretary of State may opt to pay compensation at the level of the market value of the animal in question, as ascertained under the Individual Ascertainment of Value (England) Order 2019 or the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (England) Regulations 2018.

Where an owner slaughters an animal voluntarily and privately (which must be agreed with the Department) no compensation is payable, i.e., the owner accepts the salvage payment from the slaughterhouse in lieu of Defra compensation.

Compensation may be reduced for TB reactor cattle disclosed in herds with overdue TB tests.