Organic Farming Scheme to open March 1st

The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine have just announced that the Organic Farming Scheme will open to new entrants in the first week of March 2021. Full details of the scheme will be announced when the scheme opens on March 1st.

Announcing the opening of the Scheme, Minister Hackett said, “I am delighted to be in a position to support the growing number of farmers in Ireland who want to farm organically.  Organic farming embraces nature and natural processes to produce organic food, for which there is a growing demand both in Ireland and across Europe.  And the reopening of this scheme, with the extra funding and scope for so many more farmers to join, demonstrates my Department’s commitment to helping farmers cater for that demand.”

Referring further to the extra numbers who will be catered for, the Minister added, “We expect 400-500 new farmers to be able to join the scheme. That represents a significant added investment organic farming which we can make because of the additional €4million we secured in this year’s budget.  It will also help us meet the targets set out in the Programme for Government to align Ireland’s organic land area with that of the current EU average over the lifetime of this Government.”

Priority will be given to those in sectors where there continues to be growing demand;

• Horticulture
• Dairy
• Tillage

In addition priority will be given to young farmers entering the Organic Farming Scheme.