Cattle farmers are expected to be the first to use the new reporting service, with rollout planned for 2027
Farmers could eventually ditch multiple livestock reporting systems after Defra's plans for a single animal traceability platform cleared a key government assessment.
The proposed Livestock Information Service has received a green rating from the Government Digital Service (GDS), marking progress towards a simpler way of recording livestock births, movements and deaths.
The review, published on Thursday 22 October following an assessment in September, highlights problems with existing reporting arrangements, including separate logins, inconsistent designs and ageing technology.
Livestock keepers currently rely on three separate government services across different species, each developed by different providers and operating to different standards.
The assessment warned: “Some of these legacy systems are struggling to cope with demand and are becoming prone to failure.”
Defra's proposed replacement aims to bring livestock records together through a modern, multispecies platform, allowing farmers to manage animal information more easily.
Cattle farmers are expected to be the first to benefit, with the government planning to introduce the new cattle tracing service during 2027.
It will replace the existing Cattle Tracing System (CTS), enabling keepers to report births, movements and deaths through the updated platform.
The current cattle reporting service will remain operational until the replacement has been rolled out to all cattle keepers.
The wider programme will also build on the existing Livestock Information Service, which already handles sheep, goat and deer movement reporting in England.
Defra intends to bring different species together under a more consistent system, reducing the need to navigate separate reporting arrangements.
The changes are also intended to improve the accuracy and speed of livestock records, helping animal health officials track movements and respond more effectively to disease outbreaks.
The overhaul will support the introduction of bovine electronic identification (BEID), which is expected to become compulsory for newborn calves in England during 2027.
The technology will allow electronically tagged cattle to be identified through scanning, reducing the need to enter identification numbers manually.
Existing cattle will not need to be retagged solely because of the transition, with electronically and conventionally identified animals expected to coexist during the rollout.
However, the government assessment identified areas requiring further testing before the new service becomes widely available.
Assessors recommended examining how commercial farm management software connects to the platform, recognising its importance to farmers who already report movements electronically.
They also suggested retaining a paper-based reporting option for those with limited digital skills, alongside further accessibility testing.
The positive assessment follows earlier concerns about Defra's wider Livestock Information Transformation Programme, which received a red delivery confidence rating in March 2026.
Ministers subsequently approved a recovery plan in May, with technical development of the multispecies system brought in-house earlier than originally planned.
The latest green assessment relates specifically to the new digital service's early development stage and does not mean the wider programme has overcome all its delivery challenges.
The system can now progress towards limited testing with selected users, subject to further government approval.
Another assessment will be required before wider public testing begins, meaning the replacement is not yet available for general use.
Defra says cattle keepers do not need to take action at present, with further guidance expected before the new service is introduced.
Farmers using commercial software will be advised by their providers if changes are needed, while support will be available for those unable to report movements digitally.
Questions remain over the rollout timetable, compatibility with existing farm software and how livestock records will transfer between systems.
For farmers, the success of the overhaul will ultimately depend on whether it delivers a simpler, more reliable way to meet their livestock reporting obligations.