Sargent relaunches grants scheme for organic farming

FARMERS can once again apply for support under the Organic Farming Scheme and for grants under both the on-farm and off-farm schemes for the development of the sector.

Horticulture and Food Minister Trevor Sargent said despite budgetary constraints the funding available remains adequate to ensure the Programme for Government target to convert a minimum 5% of acreage to organic farmland by 2012 can be realised. The Organic Farming Scheme is an agri-environment measure under the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food’s Rural Development Programme 2007-13.

Farmers may enter into a contract for a minimum of five years and could qualify for yearly payments of up to €283 per hectare during the conversion period and up to €142 per hectare when they have achieved full organic status. Following a review last year, applicants will now be required to submit a business plan and, if they have not previously taken part in the organic supplementary measure in REPS, to undertake an approved training course.

Mr Sargent said these changes in the scheme are designed to ensure that the farmers joining it are those who have most to offer to the growth of the sector so it can meet the increasing demand from consumers for organic produce.

In that context, he said the closing date for applications will be May 15, 2010, and that decisions would be made at that stage on the level of funding and on the number of applicants that will be accepted into the scheme. He said the grant schemes, which support investment by both producers and processors, have been a major success since their launch in 2007.

They were closed temporarily in mid-2009 because applications on hands at that point were enough to use up the funding provided for the year. Mr Sargent said the number of successful applications increased by 50% from 82 in 2007 to 123 in 2009, while expenditure under the schemes went from €594,000 in 2007 to €1.5 million in 2009, an increase of more than 150%. The on-farm scheme provides grant aid of 40% of the cost up to a maximum grant of €60,000. For off-farm investments, the maximum grant is €500,000.