Bord Bia backs organic farming in move to capitalise on huge market opportunities

INCREASED efforts are being made to encourage more of the country’s 135,000 farmers to consider going the organic route to meet consumer demands.

Organic farming in Ireland is on the increase although it still forms only a tiny part of agriculture. There are 1,100 organic producers, who farm nearly 40,000 hectares annually.

Bord Bia, with the help of €1.5 million in funding from the Department of Agriculture and Food, has developed a three-year marketing plan for the sector in consultation with the Organic Market Development Group.

Teagasc, which recently leased a farm to maintain its organic dairy programme in Athenry, Co Galway, has announced it is to appoint three extra organic farm advisers.

It currently farms 500 acres organically at its research centres in Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford, Oak Park, Carlow and Athenry.

Teagasc acting director Tom Kirley said organic farming must be about producing food for a growing market that is developing at home and in continental Europe.

However, John Purcell, Good Herdsman in Cahir, Co Tipperary, told the conference he is disappointed at the slow response of Irish producers to this market opportunity.

He said there is potential for further expansion in organic farming in Ireland to meet the growing needs of the market. In particular, there are realistic opportunities for domestic organic beef producers.

Mr Purcell said Britain is the second largest consumer of organic food in the world and it has to import 41% of its organic red meat. Mainland Europe is experiencing short supplies also and is forecasting this will continue.

Irish organic farmers produce around 3,000 finished organic cattle and 6,000 lambs annually. It is estimated the British market needs to import up to 20,000 cattle per year to fill the gap between its own production and consumer demand.

Mr Purcell said the typical consumers of organic meat are young families and young single adults and their top motivation for buying organic food is that it is better for the environment.

Caroline Robinson, chairperson, Irish Food Market Traders Association, said this is a time when local food is becoming more popular with consumers more people want to buy food directly from the person who has grown or made it.