11/5/09

Organic Farming Scheme warning

Organic Centre Wales has warned that farmers who have recently converted to organic farming risk losing financial support if they do not act quickly.

Farmers who recently received letters from the Welsh Assembly Government saying they had been successful in their application to the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) must return their acceptance of the offer before 15 May 2009 or with their Single Application Form (SAF).

“I am concerned that some farmers may not have spotted this requirement to formally accept the offer by returning the signed acceptance,” said Sue Fowler, Director of Organic Centre Wales. “If they do not accept the offer by the deadline they risk exclusion from support.”

The Organic Farming Scheme opened for three weeks in March, and farmers who had begun conversion before 22 October 2008 were invited to submit applications. They have since received letters making a formal offer of support but must formally accept this offer. During this application window farmers were also invited to submit Expressions of Interest to join the OFS in the future.

The Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones, is now considering the integration of the Organic Farming Scheme into Glastir, the new Rural Development land management scheme for Wales, and she will be making a further announcement relating to farmers that expressed interest in due course.

Ends

Further information

Sue Fowler, Director, Organic Centre Wales, Aberystwyth University, Tel. 01970 622248, e-mail smf@aber.ac.uk. 

Notes for the editor

1. Organic Centre Wales (www.organic.aber.ac.uk) was established in 2000 and is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and operated by a partnership consisting of ADAS, the Organic Research Centre Elm Farm and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University.

2. Wales has a significant lead over other parts of the United Kingdom in terms of organic production. Wales’ organic land area increased by 22% during the year ending January 2008, reaching 6.4% of the total agricultural area, according to statistics released on 3 July 2008 by Defra. It has over 950 organic farmers.

3. The recent Welsh organic production and market report 2008 shows that the organic sector remains competitive. See www.organic.aber.ac.uk/survey2008

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

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