Climate: 1°C fall in temperature every 160 metres.Short growing season. Over 2000mm annual rainfall
Market: small in local area. Very difficult
accessibility to large markets in the lowlands
Labour: little available in sparsely-populated uplands
Capital: often little profit to reinvest
Politics: EU subsidies and grants help some farmers to
have a minimum standard of living
Machinery: quadbikes
Lambing
Shearing
Dipping
Fertilising
Tourism
Fodder crops
Lambs sold for fattening in the lowland (for meat)
Wool fleeces
Profit
Money from bed and breakfast
Characteristics of a Hill Sheep Farm
There are three zones of land use:
The fell: the tops of the hills over 300m altitude – sheep graze on
this open land in the summer;
The intake or lower slopes: divided into fields by dry stone walls,
some pasture is improved by adding drainage and fertilisers;
The inbye: the small area of land on the valley floor close to the
farm buildings – more fertile soils and sheltered. Used for lambing, shearing
etc. and for growing some winter fodder crops, e.g. turnips, hay.
Recent Problems
Hill sheep farming is not always profitable – the land is marginal.
The threat of removal of subsidies from the EU.
EU Quotas (limits) on the number of sheep that can be kept.
Foot and mouth disease has restricted sheep movement and sales.
Radioactive fall-out from the Chernobyl accident (1986) affected mountain
grazing land. Restrictions on sheep sales is still in force in some areas.
Costs, e.g. fuel, machinery, fodder, have all risen. Lamb prices in the late
1990s collapsed.
Fewer young people want to carry on sheep farming.
Conflicts with tourists and National Park Authorities.
Changes and Improvements
Farmers are continuing to leave the land or take part-time jobs in nearby
towns, if available
New breeding stock to improve quality and quantity of meat and wool.
Greater use of fertilisers to improve quality of pasture.
Grants for new farm buildings so lambing can be done indoors.
EU subsidies and grants to encourage continuation of livestock farming in
upland areas.
EU grants to protect and improve the farm environment e.g. conservation of
dry stonewalls, natural pastures, stone barns, and hedgerows.
EU grants to encourage diversification of farms, either farm-based, e.g.
organic farming, rearing other animals (deer, goats), or non-farm based, e.g.
campsites, sporting activities, forestry, arts and crafts, rural tourism.
EU grants to conserve and enhancement the landscape for wildlife. Areas
designated as Environmentally Sensitive (ESAs) qualify for grants to reduce the
use of fertilisers, restore heather moorland and wetlands.
Some farms could not survive and have been sold – often as second homes.
