€586,000 in emergency aid for affected cattle farms

The Department of Agriculture of the Generalitat is allocating €586,000 in expandable, non-competitive aid for cattle farms affected by bovine tuberculosis. This is the first time such support has been offered, following dialogue with sectoral milk and beef working groups, Sanitary Defence Associations (ADS) and the Council of Veterinary Colleges of Catalonia. The funding is divided into three initial aid lines, published in the Official Journal of the Government of Catalonia (DOGC), targeting specific economic impacts caused by disease control measures.

Compensation for restricted farming operations

One measure compensates for animal feeding costs when livestock are confined due to suspected infection and cannot access pasture. Eligible farms can claim this between 1 March and 15 November 2025. Another covers the installation of perimeter fencing to prevent disease spread to other herds or wildlife, improving on-site biosecurity. A third supports the management of manure produced during containment periods, reducing environmental and sanitary risks.

This is the first time such support has been offered, following dialogue with sectoral milk and beef working groups.

Further aid expected in August

Three additional aid calls are scheduled for publication during August. These will cover cleaning and disinfection, productivity recovery after sanitary culling, and compensation for lost grazing rights due to mandatory depopulation. Farms affected in 2025 or up to 15 October 2026 can benefit from the scheme. The move follows criticism from farming associations earlier in 2025, who described previous compensation as outdated and insufficient, based on 2011 valuation tables that no longer reflect market prices. Despite isolated outbreaks, including three in cattle and one in goats detected in early 2024, Catalonia maintains its official status as free of bovine tuberculosis, a designation secured in January 2023 that requires 99.8% of farms and 99.9% of cattle to remain disease-free.

Reported by europapress.es, Diario Veterinario, CatalunyaPress.es, animalshealth.es.