WBD6: Remove livestock from intensive grassland during the autumn and winter (outside SDAs) (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

£115 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that, during the autumn and winter months, there’s intensive grassland next to a watercourse, with:

no livestock on it

minimal waterlogging, compaction and poaching

The purpose of this is to:

improve soil structure

reduce surface runoff and risk of diffuse pollution to the watercourse

help to reduce the risk of flooding

Where you can do this action

You can do this action on agricultural land which drains directly into a watercourse (stream, river or lake) that’s:

located outside severely disadvantaged areas ( SDAs ) below the moorland line

typically receiving at least 100 kilograms (kg) of nitrogen per ha per year

identified by you as being prone to waterlogging, compaction and poaching – you must keep written evidence of this

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

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Temporary grassland Arable land TG01

Permanent grassland – improved and low input Permanent grassland PG01

Eligibility of protected land

Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must:

give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent before the Rural Payments Agency ( RPA ) can offer you an SFI26 agreement

have received SSSI consent from Natural England before you do this action (read  section 10.1 ‘SSSI consent’  in the SFI26 scheme information for more details)

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 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 remove all livestock from the land for at least 5 consecutive months during the autumn and winter months. This period will usually be between October and March.

For the purposes of this action, livestock includes cattle, sheep, goats, ponies and horses, as relevant.

You must keep a written record of:

grazing activity on each land parcel entered into this action to show you’ve met the minimum livestock removal period required by this action

input records showing that the grassland has received at least 100kg of nitrogen per hectare per year

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.

If this action’s start date means it’s too late for you to do this action, you must start doing it within 12 months of the action’s start date.

In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do the action until the end of your chosen minimum 5-month livestock removal period or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.

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

Evidence to keep

You must keep written evidence that land entered into this action is prone to waterlogging, compaction or poaching. You can use a soil management plan you’ve already produced for SFI24 action CSAM1 or SFI23 action SAM1 to identify this.

You must also keep the required written record of grazing activity and nitrogen application

You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.

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   AGF1, AGF2, OFC1, OFM1, PRF1, PRF2

SFI 2024 actions AGF1, AGF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, OFC1, OFM1, PRF1, PRF2

SFI 2023 actions IPM1, NUM1, SAM1

CSHT actions from 2025   CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CPAC1, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3

CS options OR1, OT1, SW15, SW16

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)

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Temporary grassland Arable land TG01

Permanent grassland – improved and low input Permanent grassland PG01