GRH11: Cattle grazing supplement (non-moorland)

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

5 years

How much you’ll be paid

£59 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that an annual average of at least 60% of the grazing livestock units (GLU) on the grassland are cattle.

The purpose of this is to:

• create a more varied sward structure
• control scrub, bracken and coarse vegetation
• increase wildlife diversity

Where you can do this action

You can only do this supplemental action on eligible land that’s entered into one of the following base actions:

• CLIG3: Manage grassland with very low nutrient inputs (or LIG1 and LIG2 in the SFI 2023 offer)
• GRH1: Manage rough grazing for birds
• GRH6: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland

You cannot do this action on land that’s already entered into the following equivalent base actions in a Countryside Stewardship agreement:

• GS2 (permanent grassland with very low inputs – outside SDAs) or GS5 (permanent grassland with very low inputs – SDAs)
• UP2 (management of rough grazing for birds)

Eligibility of protected land

Available area you can enter into this action

Same as or less than your selected base action.

Rotational or static action

This action is rotational or static. This means you can either:

• move its location around the land entered into the relevant base action for the second and third years of this action’s duration
• do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration

What to do

Each year, an average of at least 60% of the GLU on land entered into the relevant base action must be cattle.

You must keep a written stocking record for each land parcel entered into this action. The record must include:

• the land parcel reference number and its hectarage
• the dates when grazing has taken place during each calendar month
• the monthly numbers of livestock, including their type and age bracket

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

Read the ‘advice to help you do this action’ to find out how to calculate the livestock density.

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its 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 stocking record 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.

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.

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.

Cattle breeds

You can choose what breed of cattle you use to graze your land for this action.

It may be helpful to use:

• cattle with low nutritional requirements (such as dry suckler cows) for sites with fibrous herbage
• mature, placid cattle are best suited for sites where there are ground-nesting birds, as they can reduce the risk of trampling

Timing of grazing

You can graze different habitat types at different times of year, with a range of cattle numbers (as long as you do not exceed the average GLU required by this action). [SFI]: Sustainable Farming Incentive [GLU]: grazing livestock units [SDAs]: severely disadvantaged areas [SSSIs]: sites of special scientific interest [CS]: Countryside Stewardship [ES]: Environmental Stewardship