May 2026
Updated 28 April 2026
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
© Crown copyright 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-historical-compensation-value-tables/3bcff369-3061-4fcc-88c5-709ee34dd44e
Compensation payable during May 2026, in England for a bovine animal compulsorily slaughtered for Bovine TB, Brucellosis and EBL disease control purposes will be as detailed below.
1. Non-pedigree bovine categories
Beef sector
| Male | |
|---|---|
| Age | Compensation due (£/head) |
| Up to and including 3 months | 510 |
| Over 3 months up to and including 6 months | 884 |
| Over 6 months up to and including 9 months | 1,239 |
| Over 9 months up to and including 12 months | 1,708 |
| Over 12 months up to and including 16 months | 1,831 |
| Over 16 months up to and including 20 months | 1,968 |
| Over 20 months, non-breeding bulls | 2,183 |
| Over 20 months, breeding bulls | 3,049 |
| Female | |
|---|---|
| Age | Compensation due (£/head) |
| Up to and including 3 months | 423 |
| Over 3 months up to and including 6 months | 771 |
| Over 6 months up to and including 9 months | 1,064 |
| Over 9 months up to and including 12 months | 1,496 |
| Over 12 months up to and including 16 months | 1,596 |
| Over 16 months up to and including 20 months (including calved) | 1,769 |
| Over 20 months, not calved | 1,976 |
| Over 20 months, calved | 1,817 |
Dairy sector
| Male | |
|---|---|
| Age | Compensation due (£/head) |
| Up to and including 3 months | 177 |
| Over 3 months up to and including 6 months | 505 |
| Over 6 months up to and including 12 months | 846 |
| Over 12 months up to and including 16 months | 1,239 |
| Over 16 months up to and including 20 months | 1,624 |
| Over 20 months | 1,746 |
| Female | |
|---|---|
| Age | Compensation due (£/head |
| Up to and including 3 months | 196 |
| Over 3 months up to and including 6 months | 537 |
| Over 6 months up to and including 12 months | 922 |
| Over 12 months up to and including 16 months | 1,161 |
| Over 16 months up to and including 20 months | 1,402 |
| Over 20 months up to and including 84 months, calved | 2,181 |
| Over 20 months up to and including 84 months, not calved | 1,612 |
| Over 84 months | 1,472 |
2. Table of pedigree bovine categories
Beef sector
| Male – Applies to entire males (bulls) only. Steers receive non-pedigree compensation | |
|---|---|
| Age | Compensation due (£/head) |
| Up to and including 6 months | IV |
| Over 6 months up to and including 12 months | 2,458 |
| Over 12 months up to and including 24 months | 9,449 |
| Over 24 months, bulls | 3,947 |
| Female | |
|---|---|
| Age | Compensation due (£/head) |
| Up to and including 6 months | IV |
| Over 6 months up to and including 12 months | 2,236 |
| Over 12 months up to and including 24 months | 2,806 |
| Over 24 months, not calved | 2,654 |
| Over 24 months up to and including 36 months, calved | IV |
| Over 36 months, calved | 2,326 |
Dairy sector
| Male - Applies to entire males (bulls) only. Steers receive non-pedigree compensation | |
|---|---|
| Age | 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 | IV |
| 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 | 1,256 |
| Over 10 months up to and including 18 months | 1,159 |
| Over 18 months, not calved | 1,589 |
| Over 18 months up to and including 36 months, calved | 2,433 |
| Over 36 months up to and including 84 months, calved | 2,148 |
| Over 84 months, calved | 1,403 |
IV – Compensation to be determined using individual valuation.
3. 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.
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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.
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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.
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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 2026 and 20 April 2026 for non-pedigree animals, and between 21 October 2025 and 20 April 2026 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.
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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.
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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.
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Compensation may be reduced for TB reactor cattle disclosed in herds with overdue TB tests.
Date published: May 2026 APHA TB Finance Team