Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 May 2022
397. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the outcome of the organic strategy meeting on the dairy sector held in 2020; the follow-up and subsequent meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25484/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2020 organic strategy meetings focused on implementation of agreed strategy actions contained in the Strategy for the Development of the Organic Sector rather than specifically focusing on the dairy sector.
However, actions which related in particular to the dairy sector were under constant review including the establishment of dairy knowledge transfer groups facilitated by Teagasc.
I established the Organic Strategy forum earlier this year and the first meeting of the group was held in-person on 19th April 2022. I ensured that this forum incorporates a wide cross-section of the Organic sector including stakeholders from the dairy sector.
In spite of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Teagasc continued with meetings of Organic Dairy Discussion Group and a number of technical seminars were conducted with the aim of improving producer knowledge in the sector. Teagasc is also developing a blueprint for organic milk production which will be discussed and reported on in the Organic Strategy Forum in the coming months.
Progress reports of the Organic Strategy Forum are posted on my Departments website to ensure that any actions and agreed objectives are accessible to interested parties.
The Department will continue to engage with dairy co-operatives to advance market opportunities for the sector while also monitoring trends and developments in global organic dairy production. I have included an attractive financial incentive in the Organic Farming Scheme under the next CAP in the draft proposals. An additional support for this sector is the Organic Capital Investment Scheme which is open to licensed organic operators including dairy farmers. This, I believe, will encourage many farmers to consider the benefits of converting to organic dairy production.
