€150,000 investment announced for training organic advisors

€150,000 will be available this year for up-skilling Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA) advisors in organic farming, Minister Pippa Hackett has announced.

The investment will provide for two specialist organic advisers within the ACA, on-farm and classroom training for advisors as well as organic farm walks with expertise and advice available at local level for farmers.

Training more advisors in organic farming will help Ireland to meet the ambitious Programme for Government and Climate Action Plan targets of substantially increasing the area of land farmed organically in Ireland to 10pc by 2030, according to the Minister.

Over 2,000 farmers were approved to begin organic farming this year and it is planned that the organic farming scheme will reopen for applicants in autumn of this year.

The €150,000 funding will build on the 2022 funding that provided for training organic advisors and helped to train over 100 ACA advisors who "proved to be very effective in assisting record numbers of farmers making the switch to organic farming," the Minister said.

“Farmers can see for themselves the opportunities that are there for them in organic farming.

"Research has shown that farmers trust agricultural advisors, and this training will ensure farmers now have access to organic farming support."

The ACA will co-ordinate the roll out of the training as they have agricultural advisors "all over the country and a wealth of experience in providing agricultural advisory services to farmers," she said.

2023 has already been a pivotal year for organic farming as record numbers of farmers have been accepted into the organic farming scheme, the Minister added.

It is planned that the organic farming scheme will reopen for applicants in Autumn of this year.

Hackett said she would "encourage all farmers to think carefully about the resilience of their farming system and consider becoming an organic farmer” in light of the increased funding available to organic farmers under the €256m budget secured for the organic farming scheme.

President of ACA, Noel Feeney said the ACA are confident that there are growing opportunities for organic farming in Ireland, and this training will greatly assist towards Ireland's commitments at National and EU level under Farm 2 Fork, climate change and related policies.