ECO Scheme

The Eco Scheme is an environmental scheme applied for through the BISS application. This scheme is not linked to ACRES, a completely separate environmental scheme.

To apply for the ECO scheme, either two agricultural practices from a list of eight or a single enhanced agricultural practice on all eligible hectares must be selected. Many farmers will qualify outright for the scheme, based on enough area under habitats or features that promote biodiversity on their holdings, such as hedgerows, stone walls, watercourses etc. Some farms may have to select additional measures to meet the requirement of two agriculture practices. Three practices have enhanced options meaning that meeting the extra obligations under just one of those will count as two agricultural practices. These are:

space for nature – (non-productive areas and landscape features) – baseline is 7% while enhanced is 10% of eligible hectares
- crop type includes copse, scrub, habitat, rock, pond, drain, woodland or trees, stone walls, orchard, hedge, ASSAP riparian zone; Designated Habitat; Natura scrub; margin / buffer (arable); fallow; and wild bird cover.
extensive livestock production
- maximum overall stocking rate of 1.4 LU/ha for the calendar year
- minimum stocking rate requirements 0.1 LU/ha based on the previous years stocking rates. Enhanced option maximum stocking rate of 1.2 LU/ha.
planting native trees and hedgerows
- minimum planting rate of three native trees or one metre of hedgerow per eligible hectare per annum.
- Enhanced option six native trees per hectare or two metres of hedgerows per hectare or three native trees and one meter of hedgerow per hectare.
- List of trees species and hedgerow species are to be found on the Eco Scheme section of the BISS terms and conditions.