Sargent hopes organics escape cuts

Proinsias de Burca

November 17 2009 04:44 AM

Minister for Food and Horticulture Trevor Sargent has compared the looming budget to a mowing machine.

Speaking at the AGM of the Irish Organic Farmers' and Growers' Association (IOFGA) on Sunday, the junior minister said that while he expects his department to feel the blade of Brian Lenihan's mower, he is hopeful that "important saplings", such as the organic sector, will remain unscathed.

Minister Sargent assured the gathering that the Government will maintain support for the sector and pointed out that the commitment to organic farming is specifically mentioned in the revised Programme for Government. As part of that commitment it is intended that 5pc of the land area in Ireland will be farmed organically by 2012. At present 1,532 organic operators farm 48,911ha of land under organic production methods. This represents 1.25pc of overall agricultural land.

Referring to specific funding supports for the sector, the minister said he intends to reopen the Organic Farming Scheme, which was suspended last July.

Open

The scheme will be open from January 1 and applications will be welcome from participants in REPS 2 and REPS 3, as well as from new applicants.

The minister also hopes to reopen the 'on-farm' and 'off-farm' grant schemes, and the grant-aid schemes for the development of the organic sector.

"After the new estimates are decided I hope I can reopen these schemes in January," Minister Sargent said.

Difficulty in accessing and sustaining markets is a perennial problem for organic producers. Minister Sargent pointed out that the market for organics has grown from €66m in 2006 to €124m in 2009. However, he admitted that the bulk of organic produce sold in Ireland was imported.

"Nevertheless, this indicates that opportunities exist. It is clear," he said, "that there are opportunities for producers to fill that gap and increase the level of home production which can replace imports."

The minister referred to the creation of an Forás Orgánach, established in August to drive the development of the organic sector. The membership of the organisation under the chairmanship of Noel Groome is drawn from people with specific expertise and experience in several areas pertinent to the sector.

He promised strong action against those who might contravene the national organic regulations.

"One of the functions of my department is to protect the integrity of the organic sector. As you are aware, the national regulations were amended last year to give our officials stronger powers to take action against operators and retailers contravening the organic regulations," he warned.

Minister Sargent said that three inspectors were now engaged full-time in visiting retail outlets, supermarkets, shops and farmers' markets, and several successful prosecutions have been brought.