Written answers
Thursday, 17 January 2019
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Organic Farming Scheme Data
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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198. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the financial allocations on an annual basis under the 2014 to 2020 RDP to the organic farming scheme; the amount expended on the programme in each year since established; the number of approved applicants in the scheme that have received payments in each year; and the number that have not received payments in each year of scheme since being established, in tabular form. [2271/19]
Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Organic Farming Scheme under the current RDP 2014 - 2020 was launched in 2015. The figures in the following table set out the financial allocation for each year together with the amount expended in those years. The figures regarding payees and the numbers awaiting payment refer to the scheme year in question. The scheme in question is on track to spend its entire allocation as later arrivals into the scheme will be paid in later years.
| Year | Financial Allocation | Amount expended (in each year) | Payees (per scheme year) | Number awaiting payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 12,000,000 | 8,030,000 | 1,580 | 0 |
| 2016 | 10,000,000 | 8,039,561 | 1,659 | 4 |
| 2017 | 10,500,000 | 8,822,131 | 1,541 | 47 |
| 2018 | 10,500,000 | 10,519,034 | 1,246 | 235 |
| 2019 | 11,000,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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199. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the targets committed to, that is, the number of hectares of new land into production and the number of hectares of converted land under the organic farming scheme, for the 2014 to 2020 RDP window; and the progress to date on the targets. [2272/19]
Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The target for Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 was to attract some 16,000 hectares of new land into organic production and to support 46,000 hectares of converted land over the lifetime of the programme. I am very pleased to report that this target was exceeded within the first year of the opening of the Organic Farming Scheme. Since 2015, a total of 26,000 ha of land has been added to the total utilisable agricultural area under organic production and supported through my Department's Organic Farming Scheme. There will also be additional land added to this figure as a result of the re-opening of the scheme at the end of last year. My Department is currently assessing the applications under this most recent round. The total area currently under organic production is 72,000 hectares.
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