This article is from page 73 of the 2008-07-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 73 JPG
IN the wake of an organic farm walk which took place on the Coolnaboy farm of Pat McCormack in Ennis Thursday last, Teagasc have called on Clare farmers to look at organic farming as a real option for the fu- ture.
The Ennis farm walk was the fifth in a series of 21 walks taking place nationwide and Teagasc officials are hopeful that they can convince farm- ers of the growing market for organic produce not just in Ireland but right across Europe.
“The aim of the walks is to show
that organic farming is a great op- portunity for Irish farmers,” said Teagasc organic farming specialist James McDonnell.
“A well-run organic farm can be very profitable in the current climate as it complies with good farming practices, and when combined with organic scheme payments and pre- mium prices for produce there is po- tential for good profit.
“Payments for conversion to or- ganic farming are ©212 per hectare for two years and €106 thereafter, in addition to the basic REPS 4 pay- ments. On a 55 hectare farm the or- ganic scheme payments amount to
approximately €©8,100 per year or €40,810 over five years.
“Organic food is a niche market but a rapidly growing one. Most organic produce attracts a price premium and represents a significant addition to income on organic farms.”
Teagasc, in association with the Department of Agriculture, Fisher- ies and Food, has organised a series of 21 organic farm walks throughout the summer.
In other European countries organ- ic farming 1s much more popular and has grown in response to increased consumer demand.
Just 0.9 per cent of agricultural
land in Ireland is farmed organically, compared to 4.4 per cent in the UK, while in countries like Italy, Aus- tria, Sweden, Finland and Denmark it ranges from between 6 to 13.5 per cent of farmland.
The 21 farms hosting the organic walks represent the full range of organic enterprises in Ireland and cover the vegetables, fruit, cereals, beef, sheep, poultry, dairying and pig sectors.
The latest information on organic production from Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture, Fisher- ies and Food is available at the open days.