The Irish Organic Association (IOA) has said that it has been inundated with calls from farmers seeking information and advice around organic conversion.
The Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) opened for new entrants on October 20, applications will be accepted from farmers in all sectors until December 9, 2022.
An enhanced budget of €256 million has been allocated to the scheme over the lifetime of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including higher payment rates as an incentive for participating farmers.
The programme for government set a target to more than triple the land area under organics by 2027 to approximately 330,000ha.
Organic advice
Gillian Westbrook, chief executive of the Irish Organic Association, told Agriland that staff in their office are spending “all day long” answering calls from “hundreds and hundreds” of farmers who are interested in converting.
She said that the majority of calls are coming from beef and sheep farmers, but they are also getting technical questions from dairy and tillage farmers.
Although admitting that the level of queries may not translate into applications, Westbrook still anticipates “a surge” in farmers seeking to enter the OFS.
The IOA has seen “unprecedented interest” among from farmers in its meetings, workshops, webinars, farm walks and podcast in recent months.
Westbrook said that the certification body is “straight and honest” with farmers on whether organic conversion is suitable for their enterprise.
The IOA has provided the following answers to some common questions being raised by farmers with further information available on its website.
Do I have to convert my entire farm?
Partial conversion is allowed, however, the organic area needs to be physically, financially and operationally separated from any non-organic land on the same holding. A partial organic conversion may be an option for some farmers who have different enterprises such as livestock and tillage or wish to convert separate enterprises on a phased basis.
Can I convert my existing livestock?
No, these animals will never become organic however following the appropriate conversion period they can produce organic stock and/or produce. Current stock are generally retained for breeding.
Do I have to use 100% organic feed?
Yes. For all ruminants, a minimum of 60% of the dry matter intake (DMI) must either be fresh green food or unmilled forage grown to organic standards and produced from the holding or linked holdings. Genetically modified feed or ingredients are not allowed in any format either in feed or minerals.
Can leased land be used?
Lease agreements must be in place for the duration of your Organic Farming Scheme contract; an agreement of at least five years is therefore required to apply. A copy of the lease should be enclosed with your application. If the land is rented, farmers should enclose a letter confirming annual first refusal from the landlord.
Do I have to use an organic bull?
A bull from a non-organic farm can be bought by an organic farmer, and then managed according to the organic standards. Artificial insemination (AI) is permitted in organic production and sexed semen is also allowed, however heat synchronisation is restricted. Non-organic male breeding animals may be purchased for breeding.