Get your 2026 BISS application submitted in good time
Vincent Ronayne, Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Mayo discusses the importance of submitting your 2026 BISS application on time, outlining key requirements around land eligibility and stocking rates to ensure full payment.
BISS 2026 is now open for applications, and most farmers will have received maps of their land and a list of parcels previously declared by them. This is the most important form for farmers to fill each year as all payments are subject to this application being lodged. There has always been an onus on the farmer to declare all land available to them and exclude any land that is not being farmed under good farming practice regulations. Again, this year the onus is on the farmer to declare all land being farmed and to exclude land which is not being farmed or land that they may not have the right to farm.
Land availability
There will be more random checks of rented and leased land by the Department of Agriculture in 2026. Farmers may be asked to provide proof by way of a rental agreement if short term rented land or a revenue stamped lease agreement if it is leased land. Issues have arisen in the past where land was declared and there was no agreement in place with the landowner. If a rental agreement or lease agreement is requested in 2026 and is not submitted, then that land will be removed and a sizable penalty imposed as this will be viewed as a fraudulent claim by the farmer. For those of you who employ the services of an adviser it is important that you sit down with them and discuss the land you are farming and your right to farm it.
ACRES
For those of you in the ACRES scheme it is important to check that each parcel in the ACRES scheme is labelled correctly on your parcel list such as Extensively Grazed Pasture, Low Input Grassland or Riparian Buffer Zone. Careful checking of this information at this time will prevent delays in payment or even non-payment later in the year. If you have Low Input Grassland or have an ACRES Cooperation Plan, then you must indicate whether you are selecting for rescoring this year. This must be done at minimum every two years where the plants and flowers in the field are surveyed and the field is scored to decide the level of payment for that area of land. The more positive plant species found in the parcel results in a higher payment. This survey normally takes place during the summer months, when most species are flowering, which gives the highest possible score, which in turn gives the farmer a higher payment rate per hectare.
ANC and minimum stocking rates
Minimum stocking rates apply to all farms and those carrying low numbers need to be aware of this. To qualify for the ANC payment there must be an average of 0.1LU/Ha for the full year or 0.2 LU/Ha for 28 consecutive weeks during the calendar year. One day without stock is sufficient to reset the stocking rate calculation so remember it is important that if stock are to be sold early then the replacement stock must be purchased first. It is advisable to carry a number of livestock over the minimum stocking numbers required in case of any losses during the year. This minimum stocking is not an issue for most farmers but for lowly stocked farms is important to monitor it throughout the year.
The deadline for submission of the 2026 BISS application and for the transfer of entitlements is 15th May 2026. Make sure you get this important application submitted correctly in good time.