Minister of State of the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett is to lead a trade mission promoting Irish organic produce at Germany’s Biofach trade fair from Monday.

Meetings are to be held between the minister and retailers, processors and food service industry representatives to promote Irish organics.

The mission comes as all eligible applicants for the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) 2023 are to be “accepted into the scheme immediately”.

Minister Hackett said that notification is to issue to the more than 2,000 farmers who applied informing them of whether they have been granted entry into the scheme, which has higher payment rates and lump sums for farmers.

Crucial step

“A crucial step in our organic journey is driving new market opportunities for Irish organic produce. The presence of many Irish organic companies at Biofach is a resounding vote of confidence in the quality and ambition of our organic Irish produce,” she stated.

The minister’s visit will begin in Berlin and move to Nuremberg from Tuesday, where a number of Irish stalls will be promoting organic goods at the fair.

These companies will showcase Irish organics to an expected 25,000 visitors and buyers from over 100 countries.

Applicants will this week receive their approval, which will provide them with a five-year Organic Farming Scheme contract

“This is a very exciting time in the Irish organic food and drink sector and this visit continues my mission to secure new market opportunities for our produce around the world,” Minister Hackett commented.

“This Government’s commitment to the organic sector is backed up by our €256m commitment to a new organic farming scheme – a five-fold increase on the previous scheme.”

She claimed that this week’s updated organic scheme numbers will show real progress towards the Government’s commitment to have 10% of land under organics by 2030.

“Applicants will this week receive their approval, which will provide them with a five-year Organic Farming Scheme contract commencing on 1 January 2023.

“This significant investment by Government in our organic sector with a target of reaching 10% of all land farmed organically by 2030 is hugely ambitious, but we are making real progress already."

Bord Bia at Biofach

Bord Bia CEO Jim O’ Toole and the agency’s newly-appointed organic sector manager Emmet Doyle will also be engaging with the mission.

O’Toole pointed to Biofach as being a crucial vehicle for Bord Bia to assist the organics sector in reaching into overseas markets.

“Over the past 12 months, Bord Bia has intensified its investment in this important sector to support the increased commitment to organics at farm level," he said.

“Biofach has long played a central role in Bord Bia’s promotional and business development activity and we are again supporting Irish organic producers with a dedicated Origin Green Ireland stand playing host to eight companies spanning multiple sectors.”