The rate of conversion to organic in Ireland has fluctuated over the years. More recently, slow but steady growth has been recorded.
At present, the main block to conversion is a technical one: �quite a number of farmers are still in REPS 3, and won't finish until 2011� according to Teagasc organic farming specialist Dan Clavin. �They can't actually sign up to the organic farming scheme until their REPS 3 runs out�.
The Department tried to have this situation rectified at EU level, to no avail. Nonetheless, there are at present about 150 people signed up to the organic farming courses running at the various centers around Ireland.
More courses will run early next year due to demand. And, according to Dan Clavin: �there will be an on line course too; that might suit part timers�. He goes on: �There will still be farm visits on this course�.
Of the 150 signed up, the majority of the farmers are involved with drystock enterprises.
The greatest interest in the courses is coming from the regions where the numbers of organic farmers is already strong. So in broad terms there are more participating in the courses in the south than the northern half of the country.
According to Teagasc organic farming specialist Pat Barry; �There has been an excellent start to the courses, with a high level of interaction between the farmer participants and the advisers involved. It is proving to be extremely useful in helping individuals evaluate their own farming systems and to make an informed decision when converting to organic status. �
Pat Barry's courses run in Clonmel, Mallow and Killarney, with about 15 participants in each.
�I'm running three at present, and all are full, with 22 in each� according to Dan Clavin. �Most are farmers with sucklers. Some are looking at finishing, at cutting down on suckler numbers, or trying to sell weanlings as stores or for finishing�.
Some bad prices have been reported at marts for organic cattle, so it is understandable that at least some are considering finishing.
He goes on �There is less finishing in the west, farmers over here are more used to carrying lambs or weanlings�.
In terms of what's attracting farmers to organic, �they see good prices for organic beef and are disillusioned with conventional farming� suggests Clavin. This disillusionment comes from �both the price they are getting and the cost of farming conventionally�.
Dan Clavin's courses are currently running in Ennis, Athenry and Boyle, which covers most of Clare and Connaught.
According to Clavin �There is strong interest in the west: next up will be Claremorris due to demand in Galway and Mayo�.
The midlands are being covered by Teagasc's James McDonnell and Elaine Leavy. There are about 35 in total on these courses, which run in Portlaoise and Mullingar.
Portlaoise is one of the few courses featuring tillage farmers: while some dry stock farmers consider feed crops, there are tillage growers in Portlaoise considering the currently attractive organic oat price, and Flahavan's stated desire to source more Irish grown organic oats.
While there is a smattering of horticulture also represented on some of the courses, it seems thus far only one dairy farmer has signed up for one of these courses.
In the North West has demand so far been slow, with the course in Letterkenny canceled. However, according to Elaine Leavy, who was due to run this course, it will most likely run in the new year.
In the course of other organic farming related work, I have myself spoken to three hill farmers from south Donegal who are ready to do the course, which is encouraging.
Mary Lynch is also running a Teagasc approved course in the Nano Nagle centre in Mallow, Cork.
All in all, this level of interest does represent still more slow but steady growth. Depending upon the number of courses that run in the new year, this trickle may at least become a stream.
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