Grants worth a total of €3.5 million will be available for “licensed organic operators” to apply for from tomorrow (Thursday, January 9) to help “improve the organic sector” in Ireland.
The outgoing Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, and outgoing Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett, today (Wednesday, January 8) announced the re-opening of the Organic Processing Investment Grant (OPIG) Scheme.
The OPIG scheme provides funding to processors who would like to invest in developing facilities for the “processing, preparation, grading, packing and storage of organic products”.
According to the terms of the scheme grants are available for a number of projects including those that will:
- Improve the organic sector and provide the producers of the basic product with an
opportunity of enhancing income; - Help to guide production in line with foreseeable market trends or encourage the
development of new outlets for agricultural products; - Help to improve production, handling, and preparation of organic produce;
- Facilitate the adoption and application of new technologies;
- Develop facilities for processing of organic products including, preparation, grading, packing.
However financial assistance is only available to projects “solely dedicated to improving the organic sector” and grant aid will not be provided for road vehicles.
Commenting today on the scheme Minister McConalogue said: “I welcome the focus on ensuring that organic farmers, fishers and food producers are competitive and productive, with enhanced well-being and economic sustainability.
“The reopening of this scheme once again underlines government’s commitment to delivering a premium price for organic product and ensuring we meet the target in our National Organic Strategy of more than trebling the value of organic output by 2030.”
Organic
Meanwhile Minister Hackett said that last year she had increased the OPIG grant rate to 60%, and that there was “a trebling of investments in the sector compared to previous years as a result”.
“I am delighted now to respond to that clear level of demand by securing a significantly increased budget for this year’s scheme.
“The State now has a target to purchase 10% organic when procuring food, and we need to make sure as much of this as possible is Irish organic food.
“Increased investment in the organic processing sector under this scheme will have us well placed to do so,” she added.
The OPIG scheme will open tomorrow and close on February 8. Applications can be made by post or email by the closing date.