5/8/09

Developing the market for organic lamb

Two events will be held in August to enable farmers to share their experiences of marketing organic lamb and find out more about the state of the market. These farmer forums are being organized by Organic Centre Wales as part of the Farming Connect Organic Development Programme and are suitable for all organic sheep farmers and those in conversion.

The events will be held at Plas Isaf, Corwen, LL21 0EW on 18 August and Bishop’s Meadow, Brecon, LD3 9SW on 19 August, starting promptly at 11.00 and ending at about 3.30pm. A broad spectrum of people are expected to come together to these events, including key players from the industry such as abattoir buyers, producer group representatives, Hybu Cig Cymru, farmers’ unions and auctioneers.

As consumers tighten their belts and more organic lambs are coming onto the market, it is becoming difficult for producers to sell their organic lambs. The day will be organized so that farmers are able to describe the difficulties they are experiencing, and to make suggestions for how the situation could be improved. Do we need more abattoirs, or is pricing the problem? Do we need to work more on building consumer understanding of organic farming? Where are the weak links in the supply chain?

Sue Fowler, Director of Organic Centre Wales (OCW) said, “I would urge all organic and converting sheep farmers to come along to these events because this issue cannot be resolved without producers sharing their experiences of marketing organic lamb. These are important meetings and we are more likely to have a secure market in the future if we have discussed what the present problems are.”

“Our new organic supply chains project, Better Organic Business Links (BOBL) will be using the findings from these two days to direct future work on marketing lamb.”

The forums are free, but anyone wishing to attend should register with OCW on 01970 622248 to ensure a place, which includes an organic lunch, and check the arrangements.

Ends

Further information

Phil Jones, Helpline Officer, Organic Centre Wales, Aberystwyth University 01970 622248

Mari Jones, Knowledge Transfer Officer, Organic Centre Wales, Aberystwyth University 07791 442498

Notes for editors

1. Organic Centre Wales is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government to provide information on organic food and farming to producers, food businesses, consumers and others. It is based at Aberystwyth University and run by a partnership consisting of the ADAS, the Organic Research Centre Elm Farm, and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University. See www.organic.aber.ac.uk. 

2. The Organic Conversion Information Service (01970 622100) is funded by WAG to provide information to producers considering conversion – an information pack and up to two free on-farm visits are available.

3. The Minister recently announced that additional money will be made available to support organic conversions. A window of application for the Organic Farming Scheme is expected to open in the autumn. Further information can be obtained from WAG Divisional Offices and OCW. To qualify, farms need to be certified as organic by a recognised body and have completed an OFS application form which needs to be accepted by WAG. OCIS can be used to help farmers prepare their applications.

4. Farming Connect, working closely with its partner organisations, provides one to one support, knowledge, expertise, training and advisory services tailored to the needs of farmers in Wales. Many of these services are fully funded or subsidised and the service is both flexible and accessible. You can register with the Farming Connect Service Centre on 08456 000 813 or contact Farming Connect directly at your nearest WAG Divisional Office. OCW is funded by Farming Connect to deliver the Organic Development Programme.

5. Better Organic Business Links (BOBL) is a three-year project to build organic supply chains. It has received funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

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