The recently-expanded SFI does increase the range of actions available to grassland farms and builds on previous CS (Countryside Stewardship) options.
However, it is an increasingly complicated picture and Defra鈥檚 recent update has done little to address this.
The main additions to the grassland offer are supplements for haymaking (GRH7, 拢157/ha and GRH8, 拢187/ha), lenient grazing (GRH10, 拢28/ha) and cattle grazing (GRH11, 拢59/ha) 鈥� but access to these is restricted to land that is in the one of base actions of low-input grassland (CLIG3, 拢151/ha), or species-rich grassland (GRH6, 拢646/ha).
In addition, there is a supplement for at-risk native breeds where they are kept on grazed habitats (SPM2-5, 拢92/ha to 拢11/ha), although, again, a suitable base action needs to be in place, and there is an issue with the livestock unit calculation (covered later).
Other new 鈥榠n-field鈥� grassland actions include scrub (SCR1, 拢588/ha and SCR2, 拢350/ha) and rough grazing for birds (GRH1, 拢121/ha). Details of the species-rich grassland offer have just been published and there are buffer strips available to protect in-field trees (BSF5, 拢295/ha), ponds (BSF3, 拢311/ha) and watercourses (BSF6, 拢742/ha).
Following NFU work, there is now also a specific option to help offset the loss of potential actions under the SFI for those with historic and archaeological features on grasslands (HEF6, 拢55/ha), although the NFU continues to lobby Defra on payments.
We want to see better accessibility to existing SFI actions to reward grassland farms maintaining these valued features.
Moorlands
There are a range of new moorland actions available. These boil down to maximum stocking levels on the moor (UPL1-3, 拢20/ha to 拢66/ha) and shepherding combined with stock removal (UPL7-10, 拢33/ha to 拢48/ha).
Then there are supplements available for keeping cattle and ponies on the moor (UPL4-6, 拢7/ha to 拢23/ha), along with native breeds at risk (SPM4, 拢7/ha and SPM5, 拢11/ha).
皇家华人continues to ask for supplementary feeding to be available in these actions, as currently only mineral licks are allowed.
The shepherding supplement (UPL7-10, 拢33/ha to 拢48/ha) only has one action where no stock removal is required 鈥� UPL7, at 拢33/ha. The other actions pay for stock removal for at least four, six or eight months.
Moor limits spark concern
To our disappointment, the maximum grazing limits on the moor (UPL1-3, 拢20/ha to 拢66/ha) are maximums at any time, rather than an average over the year.
The stocking levels are low and range from 0.16 grazing livestock units per hectare to 0.04 grazing livestock units per hectare.
A supplement for keeping cattle and ponies is available (UPL1-3, 拢20/ha to 拢66/ha). This pays for cattle and ponies to make up 30%, 70% or 100% of the livestock on the moor.
One win for the uplands comes in the shape of a new 鈥榤oorland mapping (PA5)鈥� capital grant, at a payment of 拢918.08 per agreement, which funds mapping that accounts for all habitats and features.
However, you can only apply every six years.
Grazing livestock units 鈥� what will count as what?
Maximum stocking levels on the moor are all based on GLU (grazing livestock units) per hectare (UPL1-3, 拢20/ha to 拢66/ha).
A change here is likely to cause both concern and confusion, with what had been known as 鈥榟ill sheep鈥� split into 鈥榟eavy sheep, for example, most lowland sheep, rams and larger hill sheep鈥�, equivalent to 0.12 GLU, and 鈥榣ight sheep, for example, store lambs and small hill sheep鈥�, at a GLU value of 0.08.
In previous schemes, all hill sheep were categorised at 0.08 GLU and the NFU is very concerned that this change could decrease stock in the hills, and penalise breeding improvements to meet market demand and the genetics that have allowed sheep to live in harsh environments.
The confusion comes in with exactly what makes a sheep 鈥榟eavy鈥� or 鈥榣ight鈥�. Defra has said this will be based on size, rather than breed. As a rule of thumb, a 鈥榣ight鈥� sheep will be an average ewe rate of around 50kg or less, while 鈥榟eavy鈥� sheep will be more.
The department says it 鈥榳on鈥檛 be providing information on exactly which sheep fall into each category as we know that it may vary; we trust farmers to make that judgement鈥�.
However, if you are farming on a SSSI, the judgement call on whether your sheep are 鈥榣ight鈥� or 鈥榟eavy鈥� will be made by Natural England. 皇家华人has called on Defra to provide reasoning and evidence for its stocking rate decisions.
