A ministerial agri-food trade mission dedicated solely to developing markets for the organic sector is being planned by the Department of Agriculture in conjunction with Bord Bia, according to Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett.

Germany has been the country mooted as the destination for the trade mission - the first to which organics will be the main priority - Dáil Éireann was told on Thursday.

Minister Hackett raised the trip when outlining the steps her Department is taking to ensure that farmers have confidence in the strength of organic markets when considering conversion under the Organic Farming Scheme.

“And it is hopeful as well, subject to travel restrictions, that there will be a ministerial trade mission in conjunction with Bord Bia to Germany, which is one of our main markets, to engage in market support,” the minister said.

“And as far as I understand, it would be the first of its kind from the Department of Agriculture – that a specific trade mission on organics would take place, so I look forward to that,” she added.

50,000ha vs 80,000ha

Further comments made by Minister Hackett indicate that Ireland will not reach its 7.5% organic land area target, should conversion continue at the same rate that it would reach if all of 2022’s funding is fully utilised.

The tranche of the Organic Farming Scheme currently open for applications allows for an extra 50,000ha to be taken into the scheme.

However, it will be 80,000ha per annum that is be needed from 2023 to 2027 to reach the 7.5% target, Minister Hackett said.

“To attain that land area of 7.5%, we will need to add an additional 80,000ha every year over the lifetime of the CAP,” stated the minister.

“An increase of €5m has been secured in the budget allocation to the scheme this year and, again, this additional funding would facilitate an additional 50,000ha of land under conversion, which would represent an increase of over 50% of the land currently farmed,” she said.

Minister Hackett added that she expected all eligible applicants to be granted a place in the scheme.

“I am confident that the funding supplied this year will be sufficient to allow all eligible applications to be accepted into the Organic Farming Scheme,” she revealed.

‘Outdated’ targets

Matt Carthy TD questioned the minister on the ambition of the 7.5% target laid out by the Government for 2027.

According to Carthy, the target would bring Ireland’s organic sector in line with an outdated EU average figure, when the sector’s growth on the continent since the target was set had been factored in.

“The target rate of 7.5% relates to an EU average of several years ago now. We know that the EU average is already way beyond 8.5%,” claimed Carthy.

“The current programme for government is committed to aligning Ireland’s organic area with that of the EU average at the time of the negotiations for the programme for government – which is 7.5%,” Minister Hackett confirmed.