The Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) is currently accepting applications for new entrants and many farmers are giving serious consideration to conversion.

The government hopes the scheme, which has an enhanced budget of €256 million, will help it hit its target of more than tripling the amount of land organically farmed to around 330,000ha by 2027.

According to Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Pippa Hackett, there is a keen interest in organic farming with “unprecedented” numbers attending farm walks and information events.

The scheme will remain open for applications from farmers in all sectors until December 9, 2022.

Organic farming

So what should farmers consider ahead of submitting an OFS application?

To begin with, both the department and Teagasc recommend that farmers speak to an agricultural advisor and other organic farmers to determine if their enterprise is suitable for conversion.

A two-year conversion period is required before a farm is given full organic status.

Farmers are advised to familiarise themselves with the European Union organic standards.

Under these regulations, chemical fertiliser, pesticides or herbicides are not allowed to be used by organic farmers; lime is acceptable, if a soil test deems it necessary.

Antibiotics are permitted when animal health and welfare are affected and must be recommended by a vet. Stricter withdrawal periods also apply.

An animal health plan, which must be signed by a vet, is also required.

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Animal welfare is a key consideration in the organic standards and increased housing space may be required depending on the existing farm facilities.

All stock must also have access to at least 50% bedded area; slats may be used but cannot be greater than half of the total area of the shed, while cubicles must have a bedding material.

To account for the increased housing requirements under the OFS, the government has increased the grant aid available to organic farmers for on-farm investments to 60% from January 1, 2023.

Organic farmers will also have priority access to the new Agri-Climate Rural Environmental Scheme (ACRES) which opened for applications on October 17.

However, farmers should note that they may not claim payment in OFS for certain ACRES actions that are outlined in full on the DAFM website.

Eligibility

All organic farmers must select an organic control body and register as an organic operator prior to applying for the scheme.

Both the Irish Organic Association (IOA) and the Organic Trust are designated and regulated by the department to uphold organic standards.

New applicants must complete an approved training course and upload their certificate on the department’s website before October 1, 2023.

awards organic farming scheme

To be considered eligible for the scheme, there is a minimum 1ha required for horticulture and 3ha for all other enterprises. In cases of applications which exceed 70ha, payments are reduced.

For livestock payments there is a minimum required stocking level of 0.1 livestock unit (LU)/ha.

The scheme does allow for the partial conversion of a farm.

If organic and conventional crops are being produced, different plants or varieties must be used to ensure easy differentiation. Where conventional and organic livestock are to be produced, different species must be involved.

All applicants must reach a minimum ranking of 25 marks in the department’s ranking scheme to be deemed eligible for consideration for inclusion in the OFS.

Organic payments

The department has said that the scheme’s larger overall budget will result in higher payment rates for farmers.

The payments will be co-funded by the National Exchequer and the European Union.

To activate their payment in the first and subsequent years, a farmer must make a Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.

The following tables provide a breakdown of the per-hectare payment rates that will apply to various farming systems.

Horticulture

Growers with an organic horticulture area of 1ha or more, are eligible for the following payments if at least half of the eligible area is cropped annually.

However, it should be noted that any area under green manures cannot be included in the calculation.

organic
Source: DAFM

Tillage

The department has said that tillage farmers, with an organic tillage area of 6ha or more, are eligible for the following payments.

organic
Source: DAFM

Dairy

Dairy farmers will be eligible for the following scheme payments on an organic area of at least 6ha.

organic
Source: DAFM

Drystock (beef and sheep) and all other holdings

Applicants with 3ha or more of utilisable organic agricultural area are eligible for the following payments.

organic
Source: DAFM

In addition to the per-hectare payments, an annual “participation payment” will be given to all farmers in the scheme.

€2,000 will be paid to OFS participants in the first year of conversion, with €1,400 for every subsequent year of the contract.

The participation payment will be paid to each of the herdowners in registered farmer partnerships, up to a maximum of three.

Making an application

If a farmer decides to make an application to the OFS they must do so on www.agfood.ie by December 9, 2022.

Farmers who need help with their accessing their online account can call the department helpdesk.

A farmer can authorise an agricultural advisor to make an application on their behalf.

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The department has said that the submission of a valid application does not guarantee entry to the scheme.

Successful applicants will be notified in writing if they are accepted and be given the commencement date of their five-year contract.

In the event that the scheme is over-subscribed, the department has said that successful applications will be determined by a ranking and selection process.

In this scenario, priority will be given to young farmers, female farmers and existing organic farmers whose contract will expire on December 31, 2022.

Priority will also be given to total conversion over partial, larger organic area and to mixed farms.

The department will attempt to achieve a “sectoral balance” across horticulture, livestock and tillage.