The Organic Scheme in the RDP needs to be amended to increase uptake, as the current payment regime will not attract farmers to reach the objectives in the plan, IFA Rural Development Chairman Joe Brady has said.

The IFA Rural Development Chairman said that €44m is available in the RDP but it would now appear that the uptake will fall short of the objectives set out in the plan.

Currently over 1% of land area is covered by organics, while the EU average is 5.7% and Brady said that if the scheme is not changed, the targets in the plan will not be met.

“The organic scheme is an important measure for those farmers who opt to convert from conventional farming to organics. It is also vital that there is critical mass in this sector.”

IFA has made the following proposals to the Department of Agriculture: