UPL3: Limited livestock grazing on moorland (updated for SFI26)

This is a Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 ( SFI26 ) action. Read the SFI26 scheme information to understand what you’re required to do under an SFI26 agreement and how to apply.

Select ‘See all updates’ at the start of this page to find out how this action has changed for SFI26 compared with SFI24 .

For SFI24 actions, read the  SFI24 agreement holder’s information .

Duration

3 years

How much you’ll be paid

£111 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

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

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 5.1.1 ‘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.

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 and 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

Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must get SSSI consent before you do this action. Read  section 10.1 ‘SSSI consent’  in the SFI26 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 – you will not be offered an SFI26 agreement until Natural England confirms you have done this

what stocking information you need to provide with your SSSI notice

Historic and archaeological features: Eligible – you must get an SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.3 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this).

Available area you can enter into this action

Total available area in a land parcel (at the point of application). It’s your responsibility to check that the area you enter is eligible for this action.

You must do this action on the area entered into your SFI26 agreement. If something happens which means you cannot complete this action on some or all of the area, you must tell the Rural Payments Agency ( RPA ) in writing as soon as possible. Read section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply with your agreement’  in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this.

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 0.04 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.

Supplementary feeding in extreme weather conditions

You can carry out supplementary feeding of livestock in extreme weather conditions (defined as 2 or more consecutive days of deep snow or hard frost). In this case, you can feed hay or haylage, but only for the purpose of animal welfare. If you do this, you must:

move the feeding sites around the land entered into this action to minimise damage to the soil and vegetation

avoid transferring undesirable species which are in the hay or haylage, such as docks or rosebay willowherb

You must not:

feed livestock on or next to historic and archaeological features, steep slopes or footpaths

use troughs or feeders

You may need to reduce or remove livestock from the area to avoid damage to the soil and vegetation if you need to feed regularly during extreme weather.

Produce a written stocking calendar

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. This can be a paper-based or electronic record.

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 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. Read section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply with your agreement’  in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do 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.

Scheme Action or option codes

SFI 2026 actions OFM3, UPL10, UPL8

SFI 2024 actions CMOR1, HEF5, OFM3, UPL10, UPL7, UPL8, UPL9

SFI 2023 actions MOR1

CSHT actions from 2025 CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CHS4, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW25, CWS1, CWS3

CS options HS4

ES options No ES revenue options

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 5.6 ‘Land that’s already in other funding schemes or grants’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details.

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:

SFI 2026 actions: CHRW2, BND1, BND2 and WBD2

SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2

SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3

CSHT actions: CHRW4

CS options: BE3 (management of hedgerows)

Supplemental actions you can apply for with this base action

You can apply for one of the following supplemental actions  on land you enter into this action in the same SFI26 application:

UPL5: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland supplement (minimum 70% GLU ) – you can also apply for SPM5 on the same area as UPL5

UPL6: Keep cattle and ponies on moorland supplement (100% GLU ) – you can also apply for SPM5 on the same area as UPL6

SPM5: Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (more than 80%) – you can also apply for UPL5 or UPL6 on the same area as SPM5

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

When you use the values shown under ‘What to do’ to convert your livestock numbers into GLU , the sheep values have the following meanings:

lowland ewe and lamb, or ram means recognised lowland breeds, and animals crossed with recognised lowland breeds

store lamb, hill ewe and lamb or hogg or teg means recognised hill breeds, and animals cross with recognised hill breeds

Once you’ve converted your livestock numbers into  GLU , you can use the  livestock grazing on moorland calculator 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 your moorland by grazing appropriately. This includes trying to avoid grazing on sensitive priority habitats, which may damage the habitat.

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

Where possible, try to avoid grazing on sensitive, priority habitats such as:

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

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 and bog Relevant non-agricultural land cover, such as scrub, scree, bracken or bog Relevant non-agricultural land use code to match land cover