DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (363/08) issued by
COI News Distribution Service. 14 November 2008
A review of all
Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) and Organic ELS option points as
well as some Higher Level Stewardship (HLS), Countryside
Stewardship Scheme (CSS) and Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA)
payment rates under Defra's agri-environment schemes is to be
carried out.
A progress report earlier this year on the current
agri-environment scheme, Environmental Stewardship (made up of
ELS, OELS and HLS) - which rewards farmers for
environment-friendly land management such as creating wildlife
habitats or preserving historical features - recommended that
payment rates be reviewed in the light of market changes since the
last review in 2004.
Defra wants to ensure that payment and points rates continue to
compensate fairly for income that farmers forego when signing up
to the scheme. Rates could go up or down.
There are more than 33,000 Environmental Stewardship agreements
in England, covering more than 4.8million hectares.
Rates to be reviewed are:
* HLS arable option rates
* all capital item rates - those in HLS plus those in the now
closed schemes - Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally
Sensitive Areas
* all ELS and OELS points
Any changes will be implemented in 2010 in time for the first ELS
renewals. Existing ELS and OELS agreements, and farmers who join
before the new rates are applied, will not be affected. If new
rates are introduced following the review, all HLS agreement
holders would move to these when their current agreements are five
years old.
For more information on the review go to http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/es/default.htm
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