CIGL2: Winter bird food on improved grassland

What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.

This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.

Duration 

3 years 

How much you’ll be paid 

£515 per hectare (ha) per year F

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:  

This is a ‘limited area’ action. The total eligible area you enter into any combination of one of more of the ‘limited area’ actions must not be more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm. Read section 1.3 ‘SFI actions with a limited area’ for more information and a list of the ‘limited area’ actions. 

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code
Temporary grassland Arable land TG01  
Improved permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01  

Eligibility of protected land

Land or features with protection Eligibility
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) Eligible – you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 5.5 ‘Land that’s a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)’)
Historic and archaeological features Eligible – you must get a HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’)

Available area you can enter into this action

Part of the available area in a land parcel.

Rotational or static action   

This action is rotational or static. This means you can either: 

  • move its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration
  • 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: 

  • cutting it for silage or hay in a way that allows it to go to seed
  • 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: 

  • meets this action’s requirements
  • is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship (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:  

  • start maintaining the improved grassland within 12 months of this action’s start date
  • 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:  

  • 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

Advice to help you do this action will be published before applications are fully launched from summer 2024. It will not be 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: 

  • field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
  • 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. Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read ‘What to do’ and ‘When to do it’ to find out when this action must be done.

Scheme Action or option codes
SFI 2024 actions OFC1, OFC3, OFM1, OFM4, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1
SFI 2023 actions IPM1, NUM1, SAM1
CS options HS3, HS9, OR1, OR3, OT1, OT3
ES options No ES revenue options
SFI pilot standards No area-based SFI pilot standards

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 6 ‘Eligible land in other funding schemes’ for more information.

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

  • SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
  • SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
  • CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
  • the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard
Published 21 May 2024