Ireland's top tillage farmers have been told to seriously consider growing organic grain.
The advice came from Mr Tom Thomas, head of the Teagasc Research Centre at Oak Park, Carlow, who told the Teagasc National Tillage Conference in Carlow that organic grain was a growing niche market in which they should become involved.
This market was being driven by concerns about food safety, protection of the environment and animal welfare and increased disposable income, Mr Thomas said.
While the organic market would not exceed 10 per cent of food production in the short term, recent changes in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme, giving more assistance to those converting from conventional crops, would help.
He said organic farming had expanded in Ireland in recent years, but it still accounted for only 1 per cent of farmland. Most of the feed to raise organically produced animals was currently imported.
Teagasc, he said, had put in place comprehensive research and advisory and training programmes in organic food production for farmers wishing to get involved in a relatively profitable farming system.
The growers were also told the banning of meat-and-bonemeal because of the BSE crisis and the reluctance to use genetically modified soya beans represented an opportunity to grow more protein crops in Ireland.
Mr Paddy Browne, chief tillage adviser with Teagasc, urged farmers to look at expanding pea and bean production and at growing lupins as a protein crop.
Research has shown that the main type of soya bean available is not suited to growing in Ireland, but that there are many alternative crops, including sunflower.