An organic farmers' group has called on the Government to set up a new organic development agency to develop the "stagnant" sector.
In its pre-Budget submission, the Irish Organic Farmers' and Growers' Association (Iofga) said the Government's target of 5 per cent of land to be certified as organic by 2012 would not be met unless a structured plan was developed.
"The organic sector has progressed rapidly in other European countries while remaining stagnant here in Ireland," the submission said. "One obvious reason for this has been that investment in the sector has been relatively small."
It said an organic development agency would drive development "as existing structures have been inadequate and have not resulted in growth in the number of producers keeping pace with the demand for organic products".
The agency would promote and co-ordinate production and marketing. The submission also calls for an extra €20 million investment by the Government to cover areas such as research and training. Iofga said the organic market was currently estimated at €66 million "and if the projected growth is realised then over the next five years this market should grow to approximately €400 million."
