AQW 10909/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 24/11/2020
Answered On Date: 04/12/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail his plans to grow and develop organic agriculture.

Answer:

My Department offers support to farmers for conversion and management to certified organic farming standards through the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS). After three tranches of the EFS since 2017, the Department is supporting 631 hectares under the Organic Conversion option and 2,506 hectares under the Organic Management option.

The Department also liaises with Organic NI, which is the sector’s producers group, in relation to organic farming issues.

My Department previously funded the Organic Action Plan Group Northern Ireland (OAPGNI), which oversaw delivery of an action plan to grow and develop the organic sector. However, growth of the sector will be dependent on market demand for organic produce.