Devon County Council reinstates £180,000 support fund for farmers hit by bluetongue

The decision follows mounting concerns about the financial and emotional pressures facing farming families, with councillors describing the Government’s handling of the outbreak as an “absolute shambles”. The council’s Cabinet unanimously backed the reinstatement of the fund, which will provide approximately £60,000 a year to support farmers and rural communities experiencing difficulties.

Cabinet members heard that Devon had been particularly badly affected by bluetongue, a livestock disease that can cause serious illness and death, as well as fertility problems that could have lasting consequences for farm incomes.

Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Liberal Democrat member for Torrington Rural and Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, said that of 3,370 infected farm premises recorded across the UK, 1,277 were in Devon – more than a third of the total. Cornwall had the second-highest number of cases, with 363, followed by Somerset with 346, highlighting the impact on the South West.

“We need improved communication [from the government], subsidised or funded vaccine programs like in some European countries, increased surveillance, and with climate change we need to be much better protected as this year has been an absolute shambles,” she said.

The Government announced measures last month to speed up bluetongue diagnosis, allowing vets to confirm clear-cut cases on site rather than waiting for laboratory results, which had taken weeks to return at the height of the outbreak. Farmers were also advised that they could apply for government-funded veterinary visits to obtain guidance on protecting their livestock. However, councillors said the outbreak had left many farmers feeling overwhelmed and isolated, with the potential for further financial losses as the disease affects breeding rates and future livestock numbers.

Councillor Sue Davies, Reform UK member for Hatherleigh and Chagford, who chaired a recent scrutiny committee examining the impact of bluetongue in Devon, welcomed the Cabinet’s decision to restore the resilience and wellness fund.

“It shows Devon is paying attention to the really serious situation and is prepared to take early action and support farmers and families in difficult circumstances,” she said.

“Farmers really are at breaking point, and if the resilience and wellness fund helps manage a few cases and stops some tragic things happening, then it will be worth it.”

The meeting also heard concerns about mental health in the agricultural sector, with some national statistics suggesting that suicide rates among agricultural workers were three times higher than in other sectors of the economy.

Devon County Council previously operated a rural support and wellbeing project through its Trading Standards team, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The programme ran from 2022 until March 2025, when its funding ended. The project enabled the council’s rural team to work alongside a wide range of organisations providing practical, emotional and specialist support to farming communities. Partners included Devon and Cornwall Rural Police, the fire service, Farming Community Network, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), Yellow Wellies, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Dartmoor Commoners, the Environment Agency, Andy’s Man Club, Mind, Samaritans, Papaya, TalkWorks and Public Health.

The reinstated fund is intended to help revive this collaborative approach, providing what was described as “an accessible source of advice and support” alongside “proactive wellbeing engagement”.

One member of Devon’s rural Trading Standards team, who is also a farmer, told councillors that he had seen the impact of the outbreak first-hand.

“As a farmer I see what people are going through,” he said.

“The different agencies we work with are incredible and we can put people in touch with them. This fund would make a real difference so that people don’t feel isolated.”

Councillor Simon Clist, Liberal Democrat member for Willand and Uffculme, said the Government’s response had left farmers feeling “let down and abandoned”.

“There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this and I don’t normally make inflammatory statements, but the handling of agriculture over a number of decades has been overseen by people who couldn’t organise a good night in a brewery,” he said.

He also called for subsidised vaccines and “proper compensation packages” to help farmers manage the consequences of the outbreak.

“Agriculture in the South West is pretty much on its knees,” he said.

The reinstatement of the fund is intended to provide a more accessible route to help for farmers facing financial hardship, isolation and emotional distress, while strengthening links between rural communities and support organisations. Work will now begin to restore the programme. The cost for the current financial year is expected to be met from council reserves, with funding for the following two years incorporated into the authority’s annual budgets.

Councillors hope the renewed programme will help farmers access assistance earlier, reduce isolation and provide vital support as the agricultural community continues to deal with the consequences of bluetongue.