Extensive grazing by sucklers has helped to create and maintain priority habitat such as the purple moor-grass and rush pasture typically seen in the west of NI.

In total, NI has approximately one third of the UK total of this important semi-natural grassland, with around 18,700ha, half of which is in Co Fermanagh.

Among those Fermanagh farmers managing this environment are Oliver and Diane Keown, who operate across 425 acres, generally split into two main blocks of land. On the home farm outside Churchill there is approximately 200 acres of productive land used to make silage and finish young cattle and sheep. The other block, comprising around 225 acres, is situated in the townland of Glen, three miles from Garrison and is dominated by heavy clay soils and peatland.

On the Glen farm, around 175 acres is classed as species rich grassland and managed under the higher-level Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS).

Decline

Over the last few decades, drainage, nutrient applications and over or under-grazing has led to a significant decline in the area of purple moor-grass and rush pasture in NI, with estimates suggesting there was over 26,000ha in 1993.

“We want to farm sustainably. There are no inputs applied here on this block of EFS higher land,” Oliver told a group of visitors from Ulster Wildlife and Queen’s University Belfast to his farm at Glen last Friday.

He is careful not to overgraze, with the farm at Glen broken up into paddocks ranging from 10 to 25 acres in size.“The sucklers rotationally graze across the landscape. They are in an 18-acre paddock at the moment. They might stay here 10 days and are then moved on. It means the land can rest, ideally for 45 to 60 days, depending on grass growth. That rest period is actually helping the habitat as well,” said Oliver.

He is in his second five-year EFS agreement and prior to that the land was managed as an Environmentally Sensitive Area.

While the various schemes come with payments that help maintain farming activity in these areas, there are also various rules that can be frustrating for participating farmers.

For example, purple moor-grass and rush pasture can only be grazed between 1 May and 31 December, at an average stocking rate not exceeding one livestock unit per hectare.

“The fixed dates is a challenge under the scheme. You have to hold until 1 May, which means more silage, more housing, more slurry and ultimately a higher carbon footprint,” said Oliver.

His main argument is that it is the outcome of management decisions that should be important, not the adherence to inflexible rules. In a good spring, grazing during April would not be detrimental to the landscape.

The main management practice on the Glen farm is topping of these species rich areas, but it is also dictated by calendar dates and can only be done after 15 July.

“We try to top once per year, but you have to be careful, as you could end up with no grass. There is always that temptation to top all these areas when the ground is dry,” said Oliver.

Cow type

Good management of these habitats also comes down to cow type and Oliver is moving away from continental breeds.

Cows on the farm are now generally a mix of Aberdeen Angus, Shorthorn and Hereford. A Stabiliser bull was used last year, but at present, there are just a number of Angus bulls on the farm.Most of the herd is spring calving, with May the busiest month to match turn-out date.

By good grazing management, the farm at Glen is able to support these spring calvers over the summer and into the early autumn.

All cattle on the Keown farm are taken through to finish, with the aim to get steers and heifers slaughtered at under 24 months.

Young cattle are rotationally grazed during summer months on the farm at Churchill, while Oliver makes good quality silage to support weight gains over winter.

Cattle go to Foyle Food Group, with most Angus steers and heifers able to avail of the Tesco bonus scheme run by Aberdeen Angus Quality Beef Ltd.

When selecting bulls, Oliver is a firm believer in utilising Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs).

“We want to avoid having to assist cows at calving. So the number one for us is ease of calving and the accuracy of the calving ease figure. Our vet bills are well down since switching to native breeds. I also look at 200 and 400-day weights,” said Oliver.

Bovine TB

However, like a lot of farmers in Fermanagh, he has recently been caught out with bovine TB. “It has caused havoc here over the last 18 months. There is a mental challenge that comes with TB, but it is also holding us back as a business. We are not carrying the numbers of stock we should be,” said Oliver.

He added that TB has left him reluctant to go out and buy higher priced bulls, which ultimately would make his farm more efficient. “We are not getting the gene pool we could be,” he suggested.

Oliver also has some concerns about the requirements contained within the new suckler scheme due to start in 2025 and in particular, the need for a cow to have a calving interval of under 415 days in the first year.

In practice, he calves heifers down at 24 months, but given the environment where his sucklers are grazed, argues it is a lot to expect all these heifers to go in calf and calve down again at around 36 months.

“The heifer has to rear a calf, still go through a final growth stage, get back in calf and calve again in 12 months’ time. It is a challenge. A higher volume of meal feeding will be required which will ultimately be counter-productive in reducing our carbon footprint,” said Oliver.

He also has a decision to make around bulls to use for replacements because he does not want to solely rely on Aberdeen Angus. “I am a firm believer that hybrid vigour is key,” he added.

The diverse mix of plants seen in good quality purple moor-grass and rush pasture is due to the impact of grazing cattle, said Dr Peter McEvoy (pictured) from Ulster Wildlife.

During the event last Friday, he emphasised the importance of not applying any nutrients or over-grazing these habitats. His preference is cattle grazing over sheep, as sheep would tend to leave fields looking “like a carpet”.

Under-grazing is also potentially an issue and if the land was left un-grazed it would eventually end up with a thatch of dead grass covering the surface, to the detriment of biodiversity.

“I would prefer it is extensively grazed with cattle – either a small number set-stocked, or rotationally grazed. These plants have all evolved to be grazed,” said Peter.

A good indicator of well-managed pasture is the likes of Devil’s-bit Scabious as well as Meadow Thistle, both of which can be easily found on the Keown farm. “They are the plants you want to see. These are plants that are typical of acidic land,” Peter added.

Lime

As well as not spreading any nutrients on this EFS higher land, it is important not to go in with lime to correct low pH.

The fields on the Keown farm at Glen were all sampled last winter as part of Zone 2 of the soil nutrient health scheme (SNHS). The recommendation came back that lime was required, even though that may not be right for the higher parts of this farm, said Oliver.

Also speaking at the event, Professor Nigel Scollan, director of the Institute for Global Food Security at QUB highlighted the importance of food security both nationally and globally.

He endorsed the sustainable approach on the Keown farm, with habitats protected alongside a balanced approach to grassland management, while also producing food.