Of the 336 farmers accepted into the latest tranche of the Organic Farming Scheme, some 297 were beef and sheep farmers.

Beef farmers made up 54% (181) of successful applicants to the scheme, while 35% (116) of those accepted into the scheme are sheep farming, Department of Agriculture figures show.

Some 4.5% of those accepted are tillage farmers, while 2.6% are dairy farmers.

The remaining number are either involved in mixed farming, goats, horticulture or poultry.

Across all enterprises, these farmers will account for an additional 16,000ha of organic land in Ireland.

The scheme is to reopen in October for a fresh round of applications.

Under Budget 2023, there will be €37m for the scheme next year and, in total, there will be €256m allocated to the scheme in the next CAP.

There is a lot of interest in organic farming at the moment, with many farmers considering making the switch as a result of the attractive payment rates.

Earlier this week, over 1,000 farmers turned out for a Teagasc national organic beef open day on John Purcell’s farm in Tipperary.