Defra has confirmed it has brought development of England's new livestock traceability system in-house after spending £237.1 million on the wider programme.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said technical development of the replacement multispecies livestock movement reporting system was transferred from Livestock Information Ltd (LI Ltd) to Defra in June 2026.
In a statement to The Scottish Farmer, Defra said the move came 'earlier than planned and in line with the programme roadmap'.
The department said bringing development under its own Digital, Data and Technology Service aligned the project with Government Digital Standards, 'emerging EU reset priorities' and internal digital capabilities.
The admission comes as Defra revealed the scale of spending on the Livestock Information Transformation Programme (LITP), which aims to replace England's existing livestock traceability systems with a new digital platform covering multiple species.
Defra said the programme's whole-life cost to 2035 is estimated at £557m, with £237.1m spent up to March 2026.
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However, the department declined to explain why the original delivery model was abandoned or whether any technical, operational or contractual issues contributed to the decision.
Asked what milestones had been missed and whether financial recoveries would be sought from delivery partners, Defra said it could not comment on 'commercially sensitive details' but added that decisions were taken in line with government spending controls and the aim of delivering benefits for industry.
The department also declined to provide contractor, consultancy or software development costs.
Defra said existing livestock identification and traceability services would remain in operation until replacement systems are ready.
"Existing livestock identification and traceability services are unaffected and will continue to be used by keepers in England until the new services are delivered," it said.
The first species due to move onto the new platform will be cattle in 2027.
Defra's published plans say the service will support near real-time livestock movement reporting and the introduction of bovine electronic identification (EID), which ministers argue will improve disease control, animal health monitoring and trade.
The development is likely to be closely watched north of the Border as Scotland continues preparations for a different bovine EID system based on ultra-high frequency (UHF) technology, while England is moving towards low-frequency electronic tags from 2027.
While Defra insists the transfer of development work was planned, questions remain over what prompted the decision, how much of the £237m spend relates specifically to the replacement cattle service and whether the programme's scope or timetable has changed.
The Scottish Farmer has submitted further questions to Defra seeking clarification on the original timetable for moving development in-house, whether any delivery concerns influenced the decision and how "EU reset priorities" are shaping the future livestock traceability system.
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