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Donegal farmers get money to
go organic
30.07.07
THE Green Party in
Donegal has welcomed the approval of an EU scheme
that will improve annual payments to organic
farmers.
Under the last scheme organic farmers with 55
hectares qualified for an annual payment of €18,500
a year during the conversion period and €13,500 a
year once he or she had full organic status. |
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The new Rural
Development Programme, to run from 2007-2013, allows
for a 17% increase on these payments amounting to
€21,650 and €15,860 respectively.
As a further incentive to encourage non-REPS tillage
producers without livestock to convert to organic
farming, there is an additional payment of €240 per
hectare available in the conversion period, up to a
maximum of 40 hectares. This is provided they grow
green cover crops during that period which will
greatly reduce the need to apply fertiliser
subsequently. |
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"This measure will be
of particular interest to tillage farmers wishing to
convert part of their holdings to organic production
and Minister Trevor Sargent is very hopeful that
this will result in a considerable increase in
organic cereal output over the next few years," said
a Donegal Green Party spokesperson. |
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