UPL3: Limited livestock grazing on moorland

The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version):

• the payment rate has increased to £111 per hectare per year – this applies to both SFI26 agreements and existing SFI24 agreements
• you enter the parcel's whole available area, and that area is measured as it stands when you apply
• there are some updated values for converting livestock into grazing livestock units (GLU) and there’s a new exception for ‘supplementary feeding in extreme weather conditions’
• minor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions

This action’s aim is that there’s a limited 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

What you must do

You must make sure that the livestock density across the land entered into this action does not exceed 0.04 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
• Lowland ewe and lamb, or ram – 0.12 GLU
• Store lamb, hill ewe and lamb or hogg or teg – 0.08 GLU
• Goat – 0.12 GLU
• Pony or donkey – 0.8 GLU
• Horse – 1.0 GLU

Lambs at foot do not have a separate GLU allocation. They are included in the figures shown for ‘ewe and lamb’.

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, except with mineral licks.

When to do it

You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.

Where you can do it

You can do this action on land located above the moorland line that’s:

• an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 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.

Rotational or static

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.

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.