Minister of State for land use and biodiversity, Pippa Hackett has announced that a 60% grant rate will apply to investments funded by the Organic Processing Investment Grant (OPIG) scheme in the new year.
The scheme has a budget of €1.5 million, aimed at supporting investments in the Irish organic processing sector.
The OPIG scheme provides funding to processors who are looking to invest in developing facilities for the processing, preparation, grading, packing and storage of organic products.
The OPIG scheme will open in tranches. This first tranche is open from January 1, to January 31, 2024.
Copies of the terms and conditions of the grant scheme, together with application forms, are available from the Organics and Market Supports Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, at Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, and on the department’s website.
This support scheme is financed from the national exchequer. Applications must be received by post or email on or before January 31.
Announcing the scheme, Minister Hackett said: “There is a growing momentum behind organic farming, with a doubling of the number of organic farmers this year to 4,000.
“It is of paramount importance that we ensure that a market premium is obtained for organic output. Investing in our processing sector, which allows organic processors to increase efficiencies and capacity, is key to this.”
Minister Hackett added: “I anticipate significant interest from industry in the OPIG scheme which will open on January 1 and remain open until January 31.
“This scheme, along with the recently announced promotional funding for Bord Bia, shows organic farmers that every effort is being made to ensure there will be demand for their produce in both domestic and international markets,” she said.
The minister also reminded farmers that the closing date for the receipt of applications to the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) has been extended to December 15, and that applications will continue to be accepted up to this date.
The announcement of the 60% grant rate under the OPIG scheme comes just after the European Commission awarded €2.2 million to a Bord Bia led organic promotion campaign.
The campaign will begin in spring 2024, and will also see funding €500,000 from Bord Bia, to give a record spend of €2.7 million on marketing organic product in the next three years.
The objectives of the programme are to increase awareness of the positive environmental, sustainability and animal welfare attributes of pasture-fed organic beef and sheepmeat.