The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) has said it is ‘actively engaging with veterinary practices and industry representatives to assess the situation and explore potential solutions’ following the announcement that Milan Veterinary Practice will cease treating farm animals at the end of this month.

Milan Veterinary Practice, which has branches in Douglas, Castletown and Peel, confirmed this week that it will close its Farm Services arm on November 30, citing a continued fall in demand despite what it described as ‘significant investment and expansion over the past 18 months.’

The practice said the decision followed an intensive period of work aimed at improving and extending services for local farmers. Efforts included engagement with government representatives, ‘lunch and learn’ sessions, investment in farm management software, and a full review of service and medication costs.

It also recruited additional veterinary surgeons and invested in new clinical equipment to support emergency farm services.

Despite these measures, demand for its farm operations had ‘continued to decline’, leading to what the practice called a ‘deeply regrettable’ decision to close.

A spokesperson for Milan said: ‘This decision has not been made lightly, and we recognise the impact this closure will have on both our teams and the wider farming community. We wish to extend our thanks and gratitude for your custom over the many years.

‘Animal welfare continues to be our priority, and our team will continue to support you through this change and will assist with the transfer of records upon request to any of the other veterinary practices currently offering farm services on the Isle of Man.’

A DEFA spokesperson said: ‘Our immediate priority is maintaining animal welfare and ensuring farmers continue to have access to veterinary care for their livestock.’

Meanwhile, the Manx National Farmers’ Union has launched a survey to gather information from farms to support discussions with DEFA and request an extension to the notice period for the closure.