The leading representative group of UK organic livestock farmers welcomes the announcement this week (26th July) by the new Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and European programmes, Wales, that the existing payment system to organic farmers will continue unchanged and in parallel with the new Glastir agri-environment scheme until 2013. In addition, the farmers group Graig Producers welcomed the Minister’s announcement of an organic maintenance fund within the Glastir scheme.
Graig Producers has been lobbying for a rethink on the funding arrangements since their introduction in 2009 which threatened the livelihoods of organic and other family farms that had spent many years embracing environmental measures promoted by the Welsh Assembly Government.
The organic maintenance fund which will take effect post 2013\14 replaces the 50% points discount scheme and will allow farmers easier entry into the Glastir scheme. In addition, applications for the Organic Conversion Scheme will be accepted in 2011 and 2012. "I am committed to ensuring a sustainable organic sector in Wales", says Davies.
Bob Kennard, managing director of Graig Producers and chairman of The Welsh Organic Group, says: "We are delighted that the new Deputy Minister has listened to, and acted upon, requests from the organic farming sector. We work with several hundred organic farmers to help them secure markets for their produce for a fair price and this move will give them confidence to continue to invest in organic farming.
"Under the existing scheme, which replaced the Welsh Assembly grants to reward good environmental stewardship, our members stood to lose a significant reduction in their income. A survey of our members identified that over a third were planning to quit organic farming, which would have been disasterous. The new maintenance fund highlights that the Government is taking the organic industry seriously. Our Members are committed to organic farming because they can see the difference it makes to animal welfare, numbers and variety of wildlife, and the finished product, but they also need to run a viable business. This will help them to firm up their business plans."
Organic meat has shown resilience in the current economic downturn with beef sales defying the markets with an impressive growth of 30 percent in the past year. Graig Producers is a collaborative livestock producer group working with several hundred sheep and beef farmers throughout England and Wales to supply the supermarkets with organic beef and lamb. It acts as a hub in the production wheel, helping to secure the best market for its members and identify new markets, add value and secure predictable prices. Economies of scale results in cost savings for its members to help ensure their economic viability.
