Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the development and adoption of new technologies in agriculture to improve animal welfare outcomes.

Defra announced new opportunities for farmers to apply for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund at the NFU Conference on 24 February, with £50 million of funding allocated for 2026. Applications opened on 17 March; farmers can apply for grants of between £1,000 and £25,000 towards the cost of a list of equipment items that deliver improvements in the health and welfare of their animals. The list includes items specifically intended to increase adoption of new technology for health and welfare outcomes including automated welfare monitoring systems using remote devices, lameness and body condition scoring systems, and environmental monitoring and control systems for livestock housing.

The Government also supports the development of new technologies to improve animal welfare outcomes through its research programmes, including through funding directly from Defra and through UK Research and Innovation. Across species, some examples of funded projects include development of new methods for emergency killing of pigs; developing autonomous, non-invasive technologies to support welfare monitoring in aquaculture; and support to develop AI-driven tools to assess animal emotional wellbeing. The Farming Innovation Programme also supports research and development of agri-technology and innovative solutions for farmers and growers with multiple projects aiming to support animal welfare outcomes.