News

Gentle Giants Bring Colour Back to Britain’s Moorland.

July 27th 2003

Farming’s gentle giants are helping to turn northern moorlands purple once more as part of a Defra-assisted experiment to restore the country’s endangered heather moorland. This Saturday (26 July) a conservation workshop in North Yorkshire allowed farmers and land managers from across the north of England a chance to see the tangible benefits of introducing traditional Highland Cattle to upland areas.

James Mawle, who farms at Coverhead Farm, Coverdale, North Yorkshire introduced the first of 60 Highland cattle to the family-run Coverhead estate 15 months ago as a novel way of managing the moorland as part of his extensive Defra Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS). The weekend’s workshop on the benefits of Highland cattle was jointly organised by the Moorland Association of which James is a member, and the Highland Cattle Society.

Although Britain has 75% of the world’s remaining heather moorland, it is a habitat that is in severe decline in this country. Some 200,000 acres have been lost since 1945 due to overgrazing by sheep, forestry, spread of bracken and general neglect. Studies in Scotland have shown that careful grazing by Highland Cattle complements other measures to halt the decline.

Renowned for their hardiness and docility, the cattle are able to utilise the extensive rough grazing and upland pasture more often associated with sheep farming. Unlike sheep however they prefer to eat rough grasses, giving the heather and bilberry time to grow.

Rita Mercer from Defra’s Rural Development Service helped develop Mr Mawle’s CSS agreement. She said:

“Countryside Stewardship agreements pay farmers and land managers to maintain and improve the diversity of the landscape. Coverdale is typical of much of the upland moorland in the Pennines, where heavy grazing by sheep has damaged the traditional heather cover.

“We would normally advise farmers to exclude stock to allow the heather to grow, but this experiment suggests that the Highland Cattle really are novel tool which can be used to manage the rank grasses which would normally overpower the heather. The cattle can act as active land managers, leaving the farmers time to tackle other environmental work.”


James Mawle, Moorland Association Committee Member, said: “The farm’s policy is to diversify from dependence on hill sheep and Highland Cattle fit the bill by eating the under utilised coarse upland grasses whilst improving the ground. The payments we receive from the ten year Countryside Stewardship Scheme agreement give us an income stream whilst these changes take effect. By 2009, we aim to have three sustainable, economically viable and mutually beneficial enterprises - Highland Cattle, sheep and red grouse shooting. The added bonus is that heather coverage, landscape value and biodiversity will all increase.”

A valuable commercial benefit is that Highland cattle produce high quality beef. The Highland Cattle Society have developed a sales network for the meat which emphasises its quality and traceability, supplying local butchers and farmers markets across the country.

Issued on behalf of Defra by GNN Yorkshire & the Humber. For further information please contact Alison Jarman on 0113 283 6591.

Notes to Editors

1. The Countryside Stewardship Scheme offers payments to farmers and land managers to improve the natural beauty and diversity of the countryside. The scheme operates throughout England outside Environmentally Sensitive Areas. It is operated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Since its inception as a pilot scheme in 1991, Countryside Stewardship has attracted around 16,000 agreement holders.

2. Farmers enter into a ten-year agreement and payments range from £20 to £555 per hectare depending on the type of land management agreed. Payments are co-financed by the EU.

3. Areas under Stewardship have seen a marked increase in previously declining bird species, including the stone curlew, cirl bunting, bittern, lapwing, reed bunting, greenfinch, pipit, twite, and wagtail. Over 1,000 miles of dry stone walls and over 9,000 miles of hedgerow have been restored, with around 16,500 miles of grass margins established. Land under agreement currently totals nearly 338,000 hectares. Between 2000 and 2006, Defra has allocated £500m to the Scheme, with a target of bringing an additional half a million hectares into agreement.

4. In running the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, Defra works closely with partner organisations including the Countryside Agency, English Nature, English Heritage, the National Park Authorities, The Wildlife Trusts, The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group and the RSPB.

5. The England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) provides a framework for the operation of 10 separate but integrated schemes which provide new opportunities to protect and improve the countryside, to develop sustainable enterprises and to help rural communities to thrive. The schemes (and a brief outline of their aims) are:

* Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Schemes (protecting landscapes and wildlife habitats, improving biodiversity).
* Organic Farming Scheme (promoting organic production).
* Hill Farm Allowance Scheme (supporting sustainable farming in the English hills).
* Woodland Grant and Farm Woodland Premium Schemes (encouraging planting of new woodland and maintenance of existing woodland).
* Energy Crops Scheme (encouraging renewable energy production).
* Rural Enterprise Scheme (supporting a diversified and enterprising rural economy).
* Vocational Training Scheme (improving occupational skills of farmers).
* Processing and Marketing Grant (improving agricultural processing and marketing infrastructure).

6. A total of £1.6 billion of EU and Government money is being made available under these schemes in England during the 7 years (2000 to 2006) of the Programme.

7. For further information about any of the schemes under the England Rural Development Programme, visit the Defra website www.defra.gov.uk or contact your local Defra Rural Development Service office.
ENDS