CIGL2: Winter bird food on improved grassland (updated for SFI26)
What you must do to get paid for this SFI26 action and advice on how to do it.
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.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£515 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s improved grassland, which is maintained so it’s left to go to seed during the autumn and winter months.
The purpose of this is to provide winter food for farmland birds.
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
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an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information)
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registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
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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 |
| Improved permanent grassland | Permanent grassland | PG01 |
25% limited area action
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 section 4.5 ‘Limited area SFI actions’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details (including a list of the ‘limited area’ actions).
Eligibility of protected land
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must:
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give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent before the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) can offer you an SFI26 agreement
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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 or part of the available area in a land parcel. 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 rotational or static. This means you can either:
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move its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration
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do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration
What to do
You must maintain improved grassland entered into this action.
To maintain the improved grassland, you must manage it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. This includes:
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cutting it for silage or hay in a way that allows it to go to seed
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leaving it un-grazed after the final cut for silage and hay
If you’re already maintaining improved grassland, you can use it to get paid for this action if it:
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meets this action’s requirements
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is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as CS option GS3 (ryegrass seed-set as winter food for birds)
When to do it
If you’re doing this action on the same area of land for its 3-year duration, you must:
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start maintaining the improved grassland within 12 months of this action’s start date
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continue to maintain the area of improved grassland in each subsequent year of this action’s duration
If you’re rotating this action around your farm, each year of this action’s duration you must do the actions for a period of time that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
How to do it
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
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follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
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do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
We’ll publish advice to help you do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
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field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
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photographs or other documentation
If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do with 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, OFC3, OFM1, OFM4, PRF1, PRF2, SOH1 |
| SFI 2024 actions | AGF1, AGF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, OFC1, OFC3, OFM1, OFM4, PRF1, PRF2, SOH1 |
| SFI 2023 actions | IPM1, NUM1, SAM1 |
| CSHT actions from 2025 | CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CHS3, CHS9, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3 |
| CS options | HS3, HS9, OR1, OR3, OT1, OT3 |
| 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)
Updates to this page
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The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version): • you can now enter total or part of the available area in a land parcel into this action – this only applies to SFI26 agreements, not existing SFI23 or SFI24 agreements • minor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions – see ‘Eligibility of protected land’ and ‘Available area you can enter into this action’
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Where you can do this action - an eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. Other actions or options you can do on the same area - SOH1 added to SFI 2024 actions. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.
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First published.