Organic farming growth

The number of farmers participating in Ireland’s Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) has continued to grow, but the pace of expansion has slowed significantly, according to new figures released by the Department of Agriculture. While Cavan has emerged as one of the stronger-performing counties, Monaghan continues to lag behind, reflecting the structural challenges facing organic farming in the region.

The latest county-by-county breakdown shows there are 293 farmers participating in the OFS in Cavan in 2026, compared with 83 in Monaghan.

Nationally, 5,572 farmers are now in the scheme, with Cork leading on 541 participants, followed by Donegal (521) and Mayo (472).

Despite the increase in overall participation, the number of new entrants has dropped sharply, from 1,800 farmers joining the scheme in 2023 to just 260 in 2026, suggesting that the numbers will eventually plateau.

IFA Organic Project Team chairman John Fitzpatrick believes most farmers who were willing to make the transition have already done so.

“They haven’t increased massively over the past couple of years because the farmers who were open to the idea have bought into it,” he said. “You need a certain mindset. There is quite a lot of regulation, it’s fairly bureaucratic and change can be daunting.”

He said becoming an organic farmer requires producers to rethink long-established farming practices and overcome misconceptions surrounding the sector.

“People shouldn’t have fear of going organic,” he said. “Talk to organic farmers, visit farms and find your own path. Organic farming doesn’t mean fields full of weeds or letting everything grow wild. Those are misconceptions.”

Paul said Monaghan’s relatively low participation reflects the county’s strong poultry sector, where converting to organic production is particularly expensive.

“Retailers largely decide the market price and the return often isn’t enough to cover the additional costs,” he said. “Organic food is the best food you can get, but it is expensive to produce and it’s still seen as a niche product. Consumer demand simply isn’t growing fast enough.”

He also argued that Government policy is limiting further growth. The ending of dual funding for environmental and organic support measures has reduced the financial attractiveness of conversion.

“If farmers could access both schemes parallel, it would make a massive difference,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

“There also needs to be stronger incentives, similar to the grassland reseeding and liming supports available to conventional farmers. There has to be a clear margin for organic farmers, and that doesn’t exist at the minute.”

Minister Martin Heydon promised continued investment in the sector, saying organic farming delivers significant environmental benefits.

“Organic farming is acknowledged within the EU as delivering a high level of environmental performance, contributing to soil health, water quality, biodiversity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

The minister added that €58.6 million has been allocated to the Organic Farming Scheme in Budget 2026 to support farmers producing organic food. However, with new entrants continuing to decline, industry representatives say stronger financial incentives will be needed if participation is to grow beyond its current levels.