Published on 2 October 2024
Last updated on 2 October 2024
Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett, has welcomed the government’s continued support for organic farming, forestry, and the horticulture sector in Budget 2025.
Commenting on Budget 2025 supports for these key sectors, Minister Hackett said:
“This is a budget that reflects Government’s strong commitment to the continued growth of organic farming, with a target of 10% of agricultural land to be farmed organically by 2030. I am very pleased to have secured funding of €67 million for organic farmers in 2025, which will facilitate the opening of the Organic Farming Scheme to new applicants very shortly. We will see further increases in organic production in Ireland over the next number of years as a result of this increased participation, and marketing this additional product is a Government priority. Indeed only earlier this week I was in Germany for the launch of Bord Bia’s EU Organic Beef and Lamb campaign, which will showcase the very best of Irish organic beef and lamb in a number of key markets in continental Europe. I recently published our National Organic Strategy 2024-2030, which this sets out ambitious targets for organic farming - including trebling wholesale value of organic product to €750 million by 2030. In addition to growing participation in organic farming, we need to continue to invest in our processing capacity. I am particularly pleased therefore that we are committing €3.5 million to the Organic Processing Investment Grant Scheme for 2025.”
On forestry, Minister Hackett commented:
“We have a budget of €1.3bn behind the Forestry Programme 2023 - 2027 and this is the means by which we will implement our Forestry Strategy over the next three years. Since the Programme opened, my Department has issued licences for new afforestation for a total of over 6,000ha. Thanks to investment in increased operational efficiencies we have the capacity to issue sufficient licences to meet the Climate Action Plan target of 8,000 hectares of new forests. The funding of €91 million secured for forestry in Budget 2025 will underpin the diverse range of tree planting options on offer through the Forestry Programme, among other schemes, and I would strongly encourage farmers to explore the many different options under the Programme. Whether it’s a small-scale native woodland, agroforestry, a productive mixed forest on a continuous cover rotation or any other of our afforestation offerings, it pays to plant trees.”
Minister Hackett also highlighted the support for the horticulture sector in Budget 2025:
“We have secured a budget of €8.5 million for horticulture in 2025, which will support growers and the sector to reach the ambition set out in the National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027. In addition, I want to highlight that horticultural growers who planted and declared field grown food crops in 2024 on their BISS application will receive the €100/hectare tillage payment announced as part of Budget 2025. This overall allocation builds on our significant support for the horticulture sector in recent years and will drive further investment, innovation and diversification for the benefit of producers and consumers alike.”
Minister Hackett concluded by welcoming funding in a number of other areas as part of the wider DAFM package in Budget 2025:
“There are some critically important schemes that I am delighted to see continue into 2025, including €2.75 million for the red clover silage and multi-species swards measures, which reduce farmers’ reliance on nitrogen fertilisers; €6 million for Phase 3 of the Soil Sampling and Analysis Programme, which we are hoping to open for applications later this month; and additional funding of €500,000 for the Rural Innovation Development Fund, the bulk of which will go towards a significant increase in the budget for social farming. I cannot speak highly enough of the social farming movement and the wonderful people I’ve met right across the country who participate in it; I really believe it is one of the great positive news stories of Irish agriculture, so I am delighted to have secured this additional funding.”
ENDS