FINANCIAL SUPPORT is now available to farmers and landowners in Northern Ireland who want to convert to organic farming.
The UK’s organic market is said to be worth £2.3 billion following a 5.3% growth in sales in 2018, and further growth is predicted.
NI farmers interested in making the move to organic will be able to claim £149 per ha of arable land conversion up to 60 ha, and £45/ha over 60 ha. For organic grassland conversion, £144 per ha is available up to 60 ha, and £45/ha over that.
The application window runs from Monday, August 19 until Friday September 20, and farmers and landowners with a Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs category one or two business ID and at least three hectares of lands eligible for Basic Payment can apply.
Soil Association Certification CEO, Martin Sawyer, said: “Organic farmers in Northern Ireland are leading the way in innovation and we’re really encouraged to see young farmers emerging to try new things that benefit both their business and the environment.
“We expect post-Brexit policy to drive some major long-term changes with sustainability and diversification going to become much more important, so this is a really important moment in time to convert to organic,” he said.
“We also know that public demand for organic is rising across the UK and Eire with people becoming ever more aware of how their food is produced. We are now in our eighth consecutive year of market growth for organic in the UK, so there are good emerging long-term opportunities for farmers who want to meet that rising demand,” he concluded.
Any farmer thinking about going organic can find out more about certification and conversion at www.soilassociation.org/certification.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article