Written Answers. - Organic Farming.
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:
128
Mr. Sargent
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
the way in which the Government proposes to implement the latest measures proposed by the European Union Commission to make beef production less intensive; and the way in which he will address the need to internalise the costs to the environment of food production methods which would in turn make organic production more competitive.
[6126/01]
There are a number of provisions in the cattle premium system which are intended to encourage extensive farming practices. These include the extensification premium and the maximum stocking density on the suckler cow and special beef premiums. The latest set of proposals from the Commission includes a proposal to reduce the maximum stocking density for these premiums from 2.0 livestock units per hectare to 1.8 livestock units per hectare. If this proposal is accepted, it will be implemented by restricting the payment to the farmers with a maximum stocking density of less than 1.8 livestock units per hectare.
One of the objectives of my Department's rural development policy, as set out in the Rural Development Plan 2000-2006, is to foster environmentally sustainable systems of production. The rural environment protection scheme is the principal means by which this objective is pursued. The objectives of REPS are to promote ways of using agricultural land which are compatible with the protection and improvement of the environment, the landscape and its features, natural resources, the soil and genetic diversity; an environmentally favourable extensification of farming and management of low intensity pasture systems; the conservation of high nature-value farmed environments which are under threat; the upkeep of the landscape and historical features on agricultural land; and the use of environmental planning in farming practice.
REPS currently has over 45,000 participants and it is projected that 70,000 farmers will be in the scheme by 2006. The Government has made available £1.6 billion for REPS, which is co-funded by the EU, for the period from 2000 to 2006. While participation is voluntary, it is recognised that REPS has already made a substantial contribution to the promotion of sustainable food production methods and the enhancement of the rural environment.
In addition, participants in other direct payment schemes operated by my Department will be required to follow good farming practice which covers a range of issues several of which relate to the protection of the environment and will further contribute to sustainable food production. My Department will shortly be issuing a publication to make farmers aware of their obligations. Good farming practice will be obligatory for participants in the following schemes: compensatory allowances, farm waste management, early retirement – where it will apply to transferees – and dairy hygiene scheme. The great majority of farmers are participants in one or more of these schemes.
My Department has specific measures to promote organic farming. Participants in REPS can avail of a supplementary measure under which they receive substantial additional payments. Some £17 million has already been paid out in this way to organic farmers and I expect this amount to be considerably surpassed in the period to 2006. A further £6 million has been provided under the regional operational programmes for direct grants to organic producers and processors.
