Irish Organic Association

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TAMS III opens February 22nd on a phased basis

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Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, and Ministers of State Senator Pippa Hackett and Martin Heydon have announced the opening of the new Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3).

TAMS provides funding for capital investments on farms and will be in place for five years with a budget of €370 million.  Under the scheme there will be 10 individual schemes one of which is the Organic Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS). Tranche 1 of the scheme opened today (Wednesday 22 February) with solar panels on farms the first available investment. The other investments will become available on a phased basis during Tranche 1 which will close on 16 June.

[Read more…]

DAFM to establish a National Fertiliser Database

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The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) is in the process of establishing a National Fertiliser Database to track the movement of fertilisers. As proposed the new Database applicable to all farmers would require any organic farmer to register as a “Professional fertiliser end user” before purchasing manufactured organic fertiliser products permitted for use in organic production. This also includes inputs such as lime. [Read more…]

Latest growth trends in EU Organic Market show huge opportunities for Ireland

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Developing a diverse portfolio of high-end premium markets critical to future growth prospects

14/02/2023 – The EU organic market more than doubled in size between 2012 and 2021 as illustrated at Biofach 2023 taking place this week in Nuremburg, Germany. Demand for organic food continued to grow across the EU in 2021 according to new figures released by FiBL – the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in its annual publication of The World of Organic Agriculture 2023 which shows the EU market to be valued at €46.7 billion (€54.5 billion in Europe), representing a growth rate of 3.6% (3.8% in Europe). The report also cites Bord Bia’s reporting on the Irish market up to 2020 which estimates the market to be valued at €235m. Following a Covid bounce both conventional and organic food sales contracted across Member States, but overall positive growth trends remain in the organic retail sector.

Speaking from Biofach, Gillian Westbrook CEO of the Irish Organic Association said. “Increasing EU organic sales in 2021 should send a clear signal to farmers and businesses of the demand for organics amongst European consumers and further afield. [Read more…]

Huge interest in the Organic Farming Scheme

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There has been unprecedented interest among farmers in the Organic Farming Scheme which opened two weeks ago.

Gillian Westbrook, CEO of the Irish Organic Association stated that “we anticipate a surge in applications based on the number of farmers who attended our Organic Workshops and webinars over the past few weeks. Prior to this large crowds of farmers attended all the organic events that took place nationally indicating the level of interest out there.

The Irish Organic Association has been inundated with questions from farmers about what they need to do to convert their farms and join the Organic Farming Scheme. In response we have compiled an extensive list of some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) on our website, hopefully this resource will be useful to farmers currently considering their options and it really makes for essential reading if you are planning on joining the Organic Farming Scheme,” said Westbrook. [Read more…]

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