Mr. Colm Hayes:

Price is well outside our control. It is a function of the market. Competition is good and healthy, however. We encourage competition on the organic side of the processing sector by direct grant aid investment under the organic processing investment scheme that I outlined a minute ago. Delivery of more processing outlets for organic produce must be a key part of the delivery of our overall organic goals. As Professor Gerry Boyle and others outlined earlier, the goals for the organic sector will not be realised unless every link in the chain inputs to it, from the primary producer through to the processor. There has to be education, training and advice but there also has to be marketing and market return for the farmer. In any consideration, as happened with the organic strategy previously, unless there is a healthy market outlet for products, it is clear that we will not achieve our marketing goals. It is a good thing that it is there. We are responding by investing heavily. The Minister has significantly increased the budget for organic processing investment this year. Anything in that space is good. Farmers need to see that market outlet. As previous witnesses said, it is possibly a deterrent to engaging in organic farming.

Our scheme is important to kick-start this and to provide investment and grant aid to farmers to convert and to maintain their organic status. Sensible farmers are looking beyond that to the market returns. Everybody has a part to play. Unless each part of that jigsaw is in place, it is clear that we will not achieve those goals.