Petition · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Government Funding for Nationwide Bluetongue Testing

Closed 295 signatures

What the petition asks

We urge the Government to provide funding to cover all testing costs imposed on farmers relating to Bluetongue. DEFRA should fund this, as costs could burden farmers unfairly. Testing requirements vary across the UK; the Government should fund these costs or scrap testing altogether.
Midges migrate across borders naturally, so we believe restricting animal movements and imposing further costs on farmers is unfair and ineffective. We are concerned livestock farmers could face financial devastation. We think the restrictions are illogical for a midge-spread virus and may further undermine food security.

Timeline

25 Jul 2025 Petition opened for signatures
25 Jan 2026 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 295
Status Closed
Department Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened 25 Jul 2025
Closed 25 Jan 2026

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 6 Aug 2026.