Organic food production in the west earns more for the family farm than conventional agriculture, according to the Western Development Commission (WDC).
Despite having land of poorer quality and reduced output, the lower costs attached to organic farms offer a better income overall. A growing market for this produce justifies State investment of almost £3 million, according to a plan published by the WDC.
The blueprint, which was presented to the Minister of State for Rural Development, Mr Eamon O Cuiv, in the Franciscan Brothers' Agricultural College, Mountbellew, Co Galway, last week, says that such investment could help to boost production at a time of increasing demand. The market for organic food could more than triple in size, from the current value of about £18 million to about £68 million over the plan's six-year schedule, it says.
Currently, the western region accounts for 39 per cent of organic farms in the State, with cattle rearing and "mainly sheep" systems run on 82 per cent of holdings. Co Clare has more than any other county, at 104 organic farms in total, while Sligo and Donegal, with 22 and 18, have the least, according to most recent figures. The number of organic producers in the west grew by 40 per cent between 1992 and 1999, with fastest growth in the 1992-'97 period, according to the WDC's document.
This relatively rapid expansion in the 1992-'97 period is put down to the payments made under the Rural Environment Protection Scheme and its special premiums for organic production. The performance of Co Clare is attributed to support provided by Shannon Development and the LEADER programme - indicating that "pro-active intervention" can boost the rate of conversion.
The WDC says that new entrants are required if the current market opportunities for organic food are not to be lost. It notes there has been limited technical and economic research into organic production systems and the market, both in the western region and the State as a whole. While a wide range of institutions has been involved in training and education, the level of advisory support available to producers has been fragmented, it says.
Its action plan, costed at £2.9 million, involves 94 recommendations, including formation of a western steering group for organic production and appointment of a regional co-ordinator; an organic information and advisory centre in the region; appointment of qualified personnel to provide information and training; and the establishment or designation of two demonstration farms, along with two experimental farms and two monitoring farms for research activities.
It also calls for development of a national marketing strategy for organic food with a special remit for the western region; a feasibility study into development of a new distribution channel for small and medium organic food enterprises; and provision of appropriate resources and commitment by the public, private and voluntary sectors to support and implement the action plan.
Welcoming the plan, Mr O Cuiv said that it would make a major input into the deliberations of the Organic Development Committee, which is due to report soon. Earlier this month, the Government allocated £6 million under the National Development Plan for a grant-aid scheme to develop the organic sector.
The WDC also kicked off its local investment fund last Friday in a literal sense with a football project on the Aran island of Inisheer. Comhar ChumannTeo, the island's community development project, received a £20,000 loan from the commission's fund to upgrade a poor-quality sports field to competition standard, and to build a clubhouse. The loan was provided due to the quality of the initiative, and the track record of the co-op in providing essential facilities on the island for 30 years, including electricity, road, air and waste recycling.
The WDC is inviting groups with innovative projects to apply to the local investment fund for finance, with closing date for the next round of investments being July 25th, 2001. The local investment fund is a "sub-fund" of the WDC's £25 million western development fund which applies to the seven counties of the region - Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Galway, Roscommon and Clare.
