There are hopes that up to 500 places will be available in the organic scheme which is due to be reopened next year.

Some €4m was provided in the budget to reopen the scheme and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said he hopes that this will allow for up to 400 to 500 new farmers to enter the scheme.

“It's not possible to predict this figure exactly at this time until we open the scheme and see the level of interest,” Minister McConalogue said in response to a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy.

Ranking process

“If the scheme is over-subscribed, successful participants will be determined by a ranking and selection process based on criteria which aim to further develop the organic sector and address deficits that currently exist.”

Some 1,505 farmers received €8.5m in organic farm payments last year. There is a major push at EU level to increase the number of organic farmers across Europe as part of climate change policy.

However, Ireland has a particularly low level of organic farmers in comparison with other EU countries and the reopening of the scheme is seen as a move to remedy that.