Laois breaks new ground with organic cattle sale
Ballinakill Mart to host first sale for farmers in the Midlands
Laois is set to host the first ever mart sale of organic cattle in the Midlands.
Ballinakill Mart is the venue for the initiative. Spink farmer John Fitzpatrick is Chair of the IFA national Organics Project Team and is Laois IFA PRO .
“According to the Irish Farmers Journal in October 24 there were 76 organic farmers in Laois. This Organic Cattle Sale initiative by Ballinakill Livestock Mart will create sale and purchase opportunities for local organic farmers,” Mr Fitzpatrick told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.
“It is hoped that this will enable organic farmers to buy and sell organic cattle in a Mart setting at a local level,” he said.
He outlined the context for the sale.
“A new National Organic Strategy was launched by the Department of Agriculture and Food and agricultural stakeholders at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska last year. One of its key objectives is to more than treble the value of Irish organic produce, to €750 million, by 2030.
“Ireland's Climate Action Plan has a target of 10% of land area to be farmed organically by 2030. This latest tranche of the Organic Farming Scheme means the land area will now be approximately 248,000 ha (5.5%) with over 5,600 farmers,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.
The sale will be held on Wednesday, April 2 in Ballinakill Livestock Mart. All stock will have to be pre-booked into the mart by March 28, with up-to-date organic certification licence and relevant declaration documentation.
Animals must be from farms certified as organic by one of two organic governing bodies and the Department of Agriculture.