GovWire

This section contains the mandatory requirements for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions for farmland wildlife on improved grassland. These requirements are part of your SFI agreement.

You can choose which SFI actions to do and what area of eligible land to do them on. There are no mandatory combination of actions.

What we explain in each SFI action

The details of each SFI action explain:

• the actions aim
• where you can do the action - this includes what land is eligible, whether its a rotational or static action, and which other environmental land management actions or options you can do on the same area within a land parcel (noting that it may also be possible to do part-parcel actions on another area within the same land parcel)
• what you need to do for the action
• when to do the action
• how to do the action which is up to you, as long as its done in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve the actions aim
• what evidence to keep

SFI actions with an area limit

There are some actions in the SFI 2023 offer that:

• take land out of food production
• are intended to be done on a small proportion (up to 25%) of the farm, as part of a sustainable system the actions are unlikely to deliver their intended aims if theyre done on more than 25% of the farm

For SFI applications submitted on or after 26 March 2024, there are 6 SFI actions which must only be done on a proportion of your farm. These actions are referred to as limited area actions and include:

• IPM2: Flower-rich grass margins, blocks, or in-field strips
• AHL1: Pollen and nectar flower mix (which should be growing in blocks or strips in a land parcel)
• AHL2: Winter bird food on arable and horticultural land (which should be growing in blocks or strips in a land parcel)
• AHL3: Grassy field corners or blocks
• IGL1: Take improved grassland field corners or blocks out of management
• IGL2: Winter bird food on improved grassland

You can choose as many of these limited area actions as you wish, but the total eligible area you enter into them must not be more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm. This does not apply to existing agreements or applications submitted before 26 March 2024.

For example, if the total agricultural area of your farm is 50ha, this means you must only enter up to a total of 12.50ha of eligible land into any combination of one or more of these limited area actions.

For the purpose of these limited area actions:

• farm means all the land parcels that are linked to your SBI at the point you apply for an SFI agreement these parcels are shown on your digital maps
• agricultural area means the area in each of the land parcels thats registered with an arable, permanent grassland or permanent crops land cover

Rotational SFI actions

If you choose a rotational SFI action, youll tell us the area and location of that action for the first year of your SFI agreement in your application.

It will be possible for you to vary the coverage of rotational actions, so they work with your crop rotation and different sizes of land parcels. This means that in the second and third years of your agreement, youll be able to do the action on:

• a larger area than you entered into the action for the first year of your SFI agreement

• a lower area, as long as its at least 50% of the area you entered into the action for the first year of your agreement for example, if you enter 10 hectares (ha) into a rotational action for the first year, you can decrease that area to 5ha for the second year and then either keep it as 5ha for the third year or increase it again.

Well let you know how to tell us about a change to the area and location of rotational actions for the second and third agreement years.

SFI actions for farmland wildlife on improved grassland

The SFI actions for farmland wildlife on improved grassland are focused on providing habitat and food sources for farmland birds, pollinators and a range of other farmland wildlife.

They include:

• IGL1: Take grassland field corners or blocks out of management
• IGL2: Winter bird food on improved grassland

IGL1: Take grassland field corners or blocks out of management

What youll be paid

Youll receive 333 per hectare per year.

This actions aim

This actions aim is that grassland field corners or blocks are taken out of management so tussocky grass can develop.

The purpose of this is to:

• provide year-round habitat for a range of wildlife
• support an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach if located close to cropped areas

Where you can do this action

You can do this action on eligible agricultural land located below the moorland line. The table below sets out what land is eligible for IGL1.

Eligible land for IGL1

The glossary explains what we mean by land types, land use codes and compatible land covers.

The SFI application service will automatically calculate what area may be eligible for this action in each land parcel. This is called the SFI available area. You must check this area is an eligible land type. Find out how the SFI available area is calculated in the information on land thats eligible for the SFI actions.

You can apply for this action on either the total SFI available area in each land parcel shown in your SFI application, or part of that area. However, this action is normally intended to be done on part of a land parcel as a field corner or block.

For SFI applications submitted on or after 26 March 2024, this is a limited area action. The total eligible area you enter into any combination of one or more of the limited area actions must not be more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm.

Read the guidance on SFI actions with an area limit for more information and a list of limited area SFI actions.

This action is static. You must do this action on the same area of eligible land each year of your 3-year SFI agreement. You cannot move the area each year.

You must not enter any area within a land parcel into this action that contains historic or archaeological features identified in your SFI Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER). Read the information about historic and archaeological features, including scheduled monuments to find out more about the SFI HEFER.

Other land management actions or options you can do on the same area as IGL1

The table

View the original news story