The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is to invest €150,000 in upskilling advisors from the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA) in organic farming this year.
The announcement was made today (Thursday, March 23) by Minister of State for land use and biodiversity, Pippa Hackett.
The investment will provide for two specialist organic advisers within the ACA, on-farm and classroom training for advisors, and organic farm walks.
It will also support the provision of nationwide advisory support to farmers interested in joining the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).
The programme builds on funding provided in 2022 by the department which allowed over 100 ACA advisors to attend training.
ACA advisors
Under the Climate Action Plan 2023, the government has set a target of reaching 10% of all land farmed organically by 2030.
The budget for the new Organic Farming Scheme has been increased fivefold to €256 million.
Last month, Minister Hackett confirmed that over 2,000 farmers who had applied to join the scheme would be accepted.
Speaking of the ACA conference in Co. Laois today, Minister Hackett said: “Farmers can see for themselves the opportunities that are there for them in organic farming.
“The organic strategy forum and all stakeholders recognise that advisory support is key to ensuring farmers have the confidence to make the switch and become organic farmers.
“Research has shown that farmers trust agricultural advisors, and this training will ensure farmers now have access to organic farming support.
“Already, 2023 has been a pivotal one for organic farming as we have accepted record numbers of farmers into the organic farming scheme, and the ACA have been instrumental in bringing organic farming to the forefront as a real opportunity for Irish farmers,” she said.
President of the ACA, Noel Feeney added: “ACA and its members are delighted to continue this important training, which will be invaluable for the future of the agricultural sector.
“ACA is confident that there are growing opportunities for organic farming in Ireland, and this training will greatly assist towards our commitments at national and EU level under Farm to Fork, climate change and related policies,” he said.