UPL2: Low livestock grazing on moorland
What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.
This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£53 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s a low livestock density grazing on the moorland, so its habitat is maintained or enhanced alongside farming.
The purpose of this is to:
- prevent expansion of areas of bare ground
- increase surface roughness
- reduce diffuse pollution
- improve water quality and flood risk management
- provide habitats for moorland species
- protect historic and archaeological features
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on land located above the moorland line that’s:
- an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information)
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
If a land parcel is located above and below the moorland line, you can enter it into this action if:
- most of the area is above the moorland line
- it’s managed as one grazing unit with adjacent land parcels located above the moorland line
Farmyards or land used for turf or peat production are not eligible for this action.
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent grassland | Permanent grassland | PG01 |
| Non-agricultural areas, such as scrub, scree, bracken or bog | Relevant non-agricultural land cover, such as scrub, scree, bracken or bog | Relevant non-agricultural land use code to match land cover |
Eligibility of protected land
| Protected land | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) | Eligible – you must get SSSI consent before you do this action. Read section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information to find out about: - what it’s advisable for you to do before you apply for this action on SSSI land - how to give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent - what stocking information you need to provide with your SSSI notice |
| Historic and archaeological features | Eligible – you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this) |
Available area you can enter into this action
Total available area in a land parcel.
Rotational or static action
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
What to do
You must make sure that the livestock density across the land entered into this action does not exceed 0.08 grazing livestock units (GLU) per ha at any time.
To convert livestock numbers into GLU, you must use the following values:
- Cattle over 2 years old at the start of an agreement year – 1.0 GLU
- Cattle over 6 months to 2 years old at the start of an agreement year – 0.6 GLU
- Heavy sheep (for example, most lowland sheep, rams and larger hill sheep) – 0.12 GLU
- Light sheep (for example, store lambs and small hill sheep) – 0.08 GLU
- Goat – 0.12 GLU
- Pony or donkey – 0.8 GLU
- Horse – 1.0 GLU
Read the ‘advice to help you do this action’ to find out how to calculate the livestock density.
You must not carry out supplementary feeding of livestock on land entered into this action, apart from mineral licks.
At the start of each year of this action’s duration, you must produce a written stocking calendar for each land parcel entered into this action.
The stocking calendar must show how you plan to meet this action’s requirements. It must include:
- land parcel reference number and hectarage
- dates you plan to graze the land parcel during each calendar month
- monthly numbers of livestock which will graze the land parcel, including their type and age bracket
If you manage several adjacent land parcels as one grazing unit, you can keep one stocking calendar for that grazing unit. You must include all the land parcel reference numbers which comprise that grazing unit.
If something happens which means you cannot complete this action, you must tell the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) about this in writing as soon as possible. For example:
- if there are fodder supply issues, so you need to increase the stocking level
- you need to carry out supplementary feeding
Read section 13.2 ‘What you must do if you cannot comply with your agreement’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to tell the RPA about this.
When to do it
You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.
How to do it
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
- follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
- do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Evidence to keep
You must keep the required written stocking calendar and supply this evidence if we ask for it. It can be recorded on paper or electronically.
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action
You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.
Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read ‘What to do’ and ‘When to do it’ to find out when this action must be done.
| Scheme | Action or option codes |
|---|---|
| SFI 2024 actions | HEF5, UPL7, UPL8, UPL9, UPL10, CMOR1 |
| SFI 2023 actions | MOR1 |
| CS options | HS4 |
| ES options | No ES revenue options |
| SFI pilot standards | No area-based SFI pilot standards |
If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6 ‘Eligible land in other funding schemes’ in the SFI scheme information for more details.
You can do one of the following supplemental actions (unless indicated otherwise) on land entered into this action:
- UPL4: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland supplement (minimum 30% GLU) – you can also do SPM4 or SPM5 on the same area as UPL4
- UPL5: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland supplement (minimum 70% GLU) – you can also do SPM4 or SPM5 on the same area as UPL5
- UPL6: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland supplement (100% GLU) – you can also do SPM4 or SPM5 on the same area as UPL6
- SPM4: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (50-80%) – you can also do UPL4 or UPL5 or UPL6 on the same area as SPM4
- SPM5: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (more than 80%) – you can also do UPL4 or UPL5 or UPL6 on the same area as SPM5
You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
- the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard
Advice to help you do this action
The following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
How to calculate the livestock density
Once you’ve converted your livestock numbers into GLU using the values shown under ‘What to do’, you can use the to calculate the livestock density per ha.
Grazing on moorland
Cattle, sheep, and ponies graze in different ways.
You can achieve greater environmental benefits if you graze the moorland with:
- a livestock species which has suitable grazing traits for the habitat type
- a suitable number of livestock for the habitat type, to avoid overgrazing or under grazing it
Grazing traits: ponies
Ponies:
- can graze swards very tight, and at low stocking densities can create a good structural mosaic
- have a strong preference for grasses and will graze long coarse grass, such as purple moor-grass
- are very adaptable grazers, and can graze bracken (particularly in the autumn) and gorse
- are less likely to graze heather over the winter months compared with sheep
Grazing traits: cattle
Cattle:
- graze on longer swards, and graze less selectively than sheep and on coarser forage, creating a more varied sward structure
- will graze lower quality forage such as purple moor-grass, particularly in the spring and early summer
Cattle are more likely to cause poaching due to their size, particularly on wetter areas. You can remove them from the area over the winter months to reduce the risk of poaching.
Grazing traits: sheep
Sheep:
- can graze swards very tight
- are highly selective feeders at fine scale, often selecting young flowers and shoots
- are unlikely to eat long coarse grasses, such as purple moor-grass, if alternative food is available
Sheep can cause a decline in dwarf shrub cover due to selective browsing, particularly when out over the winter months. You can reduce the risk of this happening by:
- removing all the sheep for the entire winter or part of the winter (‘partial off-wintering’)
- reducing sheep numbers during the winter months
Grazing to maintain or enhance moorland habitat
To help you achieve this action’s aim, you can maintain or enhance the habitat on moorland by grazing appropriately. This includes trying to trying to avoid grazing on sensitive priority habitats.
You’ll usually need to graze the following moorland habitats, as relevant:
- most grasslands
- fens and flushes
- most heathlands
- land with historic and archaeological features, to avoid trees, bracken and scrub causing damage
- upland wood pasture
Sensitive priority habitats which may be damaged by grazing include:
- most woodlands
- blanket bog
- mountain heath
- willow scrub
- fragmented upland heath that needs to be restored
Neighbouring livestock
If the area of moorland you enter into this action is unfenced and adjacent land is grazed by other farmers or land managers, you may need to:
- consider the potential impact of neighbouring livestock straying on your ability to meet this action’s requirements, particularly the maximum livestock density threshold
- talk to neighbouring farmers or land managers about removing stray livestock from your area of moorland
Updates to this page
Published 21 May 2024Last updated 5 August 2024 + show all updates
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Where you can do this action - an eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. Added wording to explain you need to read section 10.3 to find out about: - what it’s advisable for you to do before you apply for this action on SSSI land - how to give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent - what stocking information you need to provide with your SSSI notice What to do - replaced ‘Lowland ewe and lamb, or ram’ with ‘Heavy sheep (for example, most lowland sheep, rams and larger hill sheep)’. Replaced ‘Store lamb, hill ewe and lamb or hogg or teg’ with ‘Light sheep (for example, store lambs and small hill sheep)’. Other actions or options you can do on the same area - added supplemental actions UPL4, UPL5, UPL6, SPM4 and SPM5. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.
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First published.