Waterford food producers to benefit from a 60% grants for investment in Organic Food Production.
Waterford food producers are set to ‘benefit from 60% grants for investments in their businesses if they switch to the production of organic food’ according to Green Party TD for Waterford, Marc Ó Cathasaigh. He was speaking after the announcement of the €1.5m Organic Processing Investment Grant Scheme (OPIG) by his Green Party colleague Minister Pippa Hackett, Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity in the Department of Agriculture. The scheme will support Waterford businesses who want to invest in organic food processing and benefit from the strong growth in the organic sector in recent years. Businesses who wish to invest in developing facilities for the processing, preparation, grading, packing and storage of organic products will be eligible to apply.
Welcoming the announcement, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh said: “We have a thriving artisan food sector in Waterford with dedicated and award winning food producers the envy of the country. From our vegetable growers to our barley and oat growers and farmers producing outstanding ingredients, The Déise has some of the best produce Ireland has to offer. Businesses who want to expand and add value to their products or those who want to meet increased demand can apply for this funding if their finished product is organic.
Minister Pippa Hackett added:
“There is a growing momentum behind organic farming with a doubling of the number of organic farmers this year to 4,000. It is of paramount importance that we ensure that a market premium is obtained for organic output. Investing in our processing sector, which allows organic processors to increase efficiencies and capacity, is key to this.This scheme, along with the recently announced promotional funding for Bord Bia it shows organic farmers that every effort is being made to ensure there will be demand for their produce in both domestic and international markets. Now is the time for farmers to make the choice to join the growing numbers of Irish organic farmers.”
Deputy Ó Cathasaigh added:
“The scheme is open for applications from January 1-January 31, 2024 and I would encourage anyone thinking of entering the organic sector to look at these grants and see if their business can benefit. We have seen huge growth in the organic sector in Ireland in the last few years and I expect this to continue.
