An organic farmer from Tipperary is urging farmers to give significant consideration to the criteria necessary for this type of farming before making the decision to convert.
Jack Kiely, manages a 72ac farm in Cloneen, Co. Tipperary, with his wife Monica, which they converted to an organic system after being enticed by the grants available.
He has highlighted to Agriland the consequences of non-compliance following a recent inspection by The Organic Trust over the purchase of non-organic calves and the use of milk replacer to feed them.
Kiely was frank in his admission that he now regrets having made the switch to organics, claiming that for him, it was more hardship than it was worth.
Some of the challenges he has experienced surrounded what he has described as ‘nonsensical rules’, delayed payments and lack of organic livestock available on the market to grow the system in a sustainable fashion.
He said: “There’s no way to make a living out of organics. The vast majority of people went into it just for the subsidies, but they give it to you in dribs and drabs.
“I regret doing it [converting to organics], but I’ve nearly sunk €10k into it now,” Kiely said.
The Tipperary farmer is currently awaiting this year’s grant instalment and has said that despite frequent calls to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), no date for payment has yet been confirmed.
Last year, Kiely said that he was informed by the department that he would receive the remainder of his 2023 subsidies in spring 2024, however, this was postponed until June 2024.
Kiely also told Agriland that he bought non organic dairy calves this year, due to an inability to source organic calves, with the explicit intention of rearing them to mature as organic cows on his organic pastures, once they finished weaning.
Non-compliance for organic
However, a recent inspection identified “Level 3 Critical Non-Compliance” infringements relating to “the purchase of non-organic livestock, in excess of the 40% rule” and for feeding milk replacer to the non-organic calves in question.
Kiely says he is now due to face penalties for the non-compliance and will be informed this week.
“I thought I could build up my own calves, buy them in and mature them as organics as you’re only feeding them for two months with milk replacer but no, because they started on powdered milk, it has completely written off any prospective organic status.
“My bill was nearly €7,000 for feeding those calves,” Kiely said and he is warning other farmers to ensure they are fully aware of the strict criteria when considering converting.
Kiely said he was recently offered a contract by Glenisk to supply milk all year round, but now fears it will be some time before he will be able to honour it, due to the time it will take to build his herd from scratch.