A strong Galway interest in move to organics

GALWAY farmers are in the ‘top three’ of applicants to have applied for inclusion in grants to convert to an organic farming set-up over the coming years.

Figures published by Minister of State, Pippa Hackett last week, show that 26 Galway farmers are among the 317 applicants across the country, seeking to make the move to an organic set up.

Cork – the leading county in Ireland for organic farming – top the list of new applicants at 33, followed by Tipperary on 27, and then Galway on 26.

Roscommon continues to be one of the leading organic counties in the country with 15 more applicants in the new scheme – according to Teagasc statistics from 2017, there were 189 organic farmers in Roscommon.

According to Minister Pippa Hackett, if all those who applied are eligible and get the go ahead and convert, it would see an increase of more than 20%  in the number of famers farming organically in Ireland supported by the Department’s Organic Farming Scheme.

“So, between that and the geographical spread of applications being so broad, the indications are very positive.

“I’m very hopeful that all types of farming will be well represented. I also expect that we should be able to accommodate all the eligible farmers who wish to go ahead, subject to their applications meeting the criteria,” said Pippa Hackett.

The Minister secured funding of €4 million to facilitate the re-opening of the Organic Farming Scheme this year and had hoped for applications to come in at between the 400 and 500 mark.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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