Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

680. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there will be an opportunity for beef and suckler farmers to access the new organic farming scheme in 2021 specifically in the case of a person (details supplied). [43390/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The current Strategy for the development of the Organic Sector launched in 2019 provides a clear direction for the further development of the Organic Sector for the period up to 2025. The Organic Strategy Group, representative of all the main stakeholders in the organic arena, identified the areas with the greatest growth potential in the domestic market and the areas in deficit. Based on this assessment of market demand and supply deficits, it agreed that the areas to be targeted should be the areas deemed to be in deficit and where market demand is growing, namely organic horticulture, cereals and dairy.

Given the clear Strategy to ensure the long term sustainable growth of the Irish Organic Food Sector, I was delighted to have successfully secured an additional €4 million to facilitate the re-opening of the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) in 2021.

I am proposing that all registered organic farmers will be eligible to apply for the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) when it reopens with the exact prioritisation to be finalised. I am concluding the arrangements on this and expect to be announcing these in the very near future.