Fears for native cattle genetics as funding removed for key bloodlines
Rare cattle bloodlines could lose vital protection under new government rules, campaigners have warned, after key genetic lines were excluded from support payments.
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) is urging ministers to intervene after some Original Populations — rare, pure bloodlines within well-known native breeds — were left off Defra’s new support list, meaning certain cattle will no longer qualify for funding.
The change, which came into force on 1 April 2026, replaces the previous Native Breeds At Risk list with a new UK Native Breeds Support (NBS) system.
Under the new framework, only breeds officially classed as ‘at risk’ are eligible for payments through Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes in England.
That shift has immediate consequences. Traditional Hereford and Native Aberdeen Angus cattle — both considered important original bloodlines — are no longer eligible for support because their wider breeds are not deemed at risk, removing a key financial incentive for their conservation.
By contrast, OP Lincoln Red and OP Dairy Shorthorn will continue to receive payments, as their broader breed categories remain on the ‘at risk’ list.
RBST argues the new approach overlooks the importance of these distinct genetic lines, which differ from modern or imported strains within the same breeds and are valued for their resilience and heritage.
Chief executive Christopher Price issued a stark warning, saying the changes “fails to recognise the importance of Original Population genetics to the livestock sector, and puts at risk the continued existence of this vital resource”.
He added that withdrawing support “flies in the face of the international commitments on conservation of genetic resources that UK government signed up to at COP15”.
The organisation is calling for targeted action, including incentives and requirements for breed societies to actively conserve these bloodlines within breeding programmes.
The move comes amid wider post-Brexit reforms to farm support, as ELM schemes replace previous subsidy systems and place greater emphasis on environmental outcomes.
Defra’s new classification system is intended to simplify how native breeds are assessed, but critics say it risks overlooking important genetic diversity within established breeds.
RBST and others in the sector warn that without specific recognition and funding, these original bloodlines could decline, potentially leading to an irreversible loss of genetic resources in UK livestock.
Pressure is now mounting on government to review the criteria, with campaigners arguing that protecting these populations is essential not only for heritage, but for the long-term resilience of British farming.
