Geography IGCSE - Sheep hill farming

Lake District location

Northwest of England, with steep relief, thin soils + high rainfall

No. of highest producer

UK is the 3rd largest producer of sheep meat

No. of sheep farmed there

Over 2 million

BP1 (Inputs, processes + outputs)

Farms receive around £65,000 in subsidies annually to cover equipment → e.g. feed + fencing → shows natural disadvantages (steep slopes, poor soils) mean farms cannot be profitable on their own → without subsidies, many upland farms would close → reduce grazing + changing the cultural landscape

BP2 (Inputs, processes + outputs)

Wool has become unprofitable ➝ in 2019 it sold for only £0.30/kg ➝ means shearing costs often outweigh returns ➝ farmers rely more on lambing + meat sales ➝ traditional outputs ➝ e.g. wool are declining ➝ forces farmers to adapt processes

BP3 (Inputs, processes + outputs)

Meat is the most valuable ➝ UK sheep sector generated £1.8 billion in 2024–25 ➝ lamb + mutton sales link local Lake District farms to national markets + exports ➝ tourism is another output as farms diversify ➝ e.g. B&Bs, cafés shows adaptation beyond food production

BP1 (human + physical factors)

Steep relief in upland Lake District → over 300m above sea level → prevents mechanised farming → due to machinery limits on steep terrain → leads to extensive grazing rather than intensive arable farming → supports hill sheep farming as sheep can graze uneven, rocky terrain → shared access to open ‘fells’ reduces fencing + input costs → machinery unsuited → grazing remains low tech + labour dependent

BP2 (human + physical factors)

High rainfall + low temperatures → Styhead gets 4,500mm/year → avg temp 10°C → excess water causes waterlogged soil → unsuitable for most crops → cold temperatures → slows crop growth → wheat + barley struggle → however, hardy breeds → e.g. Herdwick sheep adapt well to cold, wet weather → grass + heather still grow → ideal for grazing, not ploughing → sheep wool insulates against cold → livestock thrives where crops fail

BP3 (human + physical factors)

Reliance on subsidies due to poor profitability → average hill farmer earns £12,600/year → many farms would operate at a loss without support → typical subsidy £65,000 → post Brexit subsidy changes → e.g. ELMS reward environmental outcomes, not production → not all farms qualify → risk of income instability → farmers forced to diversify or scale down operations → heavy dependence on policy decisions undermines long term resilience

BP1 (challenges)

Reliance on subsidies due to poor profitability → average hill farmer earns £12,600/year → many farms would operate at a loss without support → typical subsidy £65,000 → post Brexit subsidy changes → e.g. ELMS reward environmental outcomes, not production → not all farms qualify → risk of income instability → farmers forced to diversify or scale down operations → heavy dependence on policy decisions undermines long term resilience

BP2 (challenges)

Harsh physical conditions + isolated terrain → Lake District avg temp 10°C + rainfall up to 4,500mm/year → cold, wet climate causes waterlogged fields → crop growing difficult → grazing is only viable option → steep slopes make machinery use hard + dangerous
→ difficult to maintain walls, paths, and shelters → increases labour strain → remote upland farms = poor access to services, vets + markets → delays + high transport costs

BP3 (challenges)

Market + political instability post-Brexit → UK sheep meat exports fell 10% after EU exit → 95% of UK sheep exports used to go to EU → now face tariffs, paperwork + delays → reduces profit margin + increases uncertainty → harder to plan for future or invest → aging farmer population + fewer young people entering sector → long term labour gap risk → combined with declining subsidies → undermines long term sustainability of upland farming