Sir, – Am I alone in thinking there is something deeply troubling that only 1.6 per cent of agricultural land in Ireland was used for organic farming in 2015, and that the Organic Farming Scheme (a grant programme) has not been open to new entrants since 2015.
Across the European Union an average of 6.2 per cent of agricultural land is used for growing organic food; in Austria 20 per cent of its land surface produces organic food without synthetic fertilisers or pesticides.
Perhaps Fine Gael should change its boast from being “the farmers’ party” to the “industrial farmers’ party” and we must all accept that the Health Service Executive has a great future and will definitely need more resources. – Yours, etc,
ROBERT WHITE
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Borris,
Co Carlow.