17/7/08

Organic Centre Wales welcomes WAG reconsideration of Organic Farming Scheme application rejections but warns of critical 31st July deadline

At a meeting between the Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones AM, Andrew Jedwell, Chair of the Organic Strategy Group and representatives of Organic Centre Wales on Tuesday, it was confirmed that letters will be sent today to all 110 Organic Farming Scheme applicants who have had their claims rejected due to failure to submit the OFS application form, giving them the opportunity to submit the missing document by 31st July.

Organic Centre Wales’ Policy Officer, Sue Fowler, said: ‘The speedy resolution of this administrative problem is very welcome. We have been hearing from many farmers who have already started converting their farms and would have faced serious financial problems had their claims been rejected. The problem has also been raised by the Farming Unions and by AMs on behalf of concerned farmers.”

The rejection letters were sent out by WAG’s Rural Payments Division in recent weeks because many farmers had not realized that they needed to complete a separate Organic Farming Scheme application form in addition to claiming on the Single Application Form in May. It has been accepted that these arrangements may have caused confusion, and therefore a one-off arrangement to accept the missing applications forms up to 31st July 2008 has been made. This is unlikely to be repeated in future years, and officials have agreed to review the scheme documentation.

Sue Fowler also said that it was essential that farmers submitted their organic certificates by 31st July 2008 or their applications would fail. Despite reminders from RPD a high proportion of applicants have not yet submitted the organic certification documents required, which need to be valid from 15th May (the date of the SAF claim). If this is not achievable, they might be better off withdrawing their claims for this year and reapplying in time for the 2009 claim.

Welsh Assembly Government and Organic Centre Wales staff will be available during the Royal Welsh Show to help advise on these and other issues relating to organic conversion and the Organic Farming Scheme.

Ends

Further information

Sue Fowler, Policy Officer, Organic Centre Wales

01970 621627/ 07815 529019 / smf@aber.ac.uk 

Dr. Nic Lampkin, Director, Organic Centre Wales

01970 621603 / 07788 791503 / nhl@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. The Organic Farming Scheme re-opened this year after a one-year gap. Further information on the Organic Farming Scheme can be obtained from WAG Divisional Offices or Organic Centre Wales. To join the scheme, farms need to be certified as organic by a recognised organic certification body. OCW provides a factsheet on the Organic Farming Scheme available at: http://www.organic.aber.ac.uk/library/factsheets 

3. 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 by Defra.

4. 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.

5. Farmers who are thinking about converting to organic management can find out more by visiting the Organic Centre Wales stand at this year’s Royal Welsh Show on 21-24 July in the Organic Food and Farming marquee in the Countryside Care Area.

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