In England, cattle compensation for bovine tuberculosis is determined each month, primarily using table valuations based on contemporaneous sales prices. The 47 cattle categories used were finalised after two public consultations.
To support the system, sales data are continuously collected, by an independent service provider, from a large number and wide range of sources across Great Britain. These sources include “regular” markets, dispersal sales, and breed sales.
A statistical analysis of sales data collected during a 12 month period has helped Defra to identify the level of variability in sales prices for each category. This intelligence is used to determine when there are insufficient data to support a table valuation.