Organic Farmers: Financial support to cover 2015/16 audit and registration fees

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A decision made 20 April 2015:

Decision Reference: MD-PE-2015-0029
Decision Summary Title :	Support for commercial organic farms to cover their 2015/16 audit and registration fees to a recognised certification body		Date of Decision Summary:	9th April 2015
Decision Summary Author:	Rural Economy Manager		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
/Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	Support for commercial organic farms to cover their 2015/16 audit and registration fees to a recognised certification body		Date of Written Report:	9th April 2015
Written Report Author:	Rural Economy Manager		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Subject: Financial support for organic farmers to cover their 2015/16 audit and registration fees to a recognised organic certification body.
Decision(s): ~~This proposed~~To grant financial support ~~for the organic sector~~ to organic farmers in Jersey to cover their 2015/16 audit and registration fees to a recognised organic certification body ~~is necessary~~ to ensure the Island’s organic farmers are not disadvantaged in the marketplace compared to imported organic produce from other jurisdictions.
Reason(s) for Decision: Support is being provided to ensure that smaller organic farms, where the recent organic area payment provides little or no support for these farms, are not further disadvantaged. In addition this payment further recognises the current industry concerns regarding low market returns for organic produce..
Resource Implications: The expected cost of the organic certification support is £4,800, which together with the recent organic area support, will provide the organic sector with an approximate £15,000 aid in 2015. The £15,000 required will be found within the current CES budget. The administration of the proposed payment will be undertaken by officers of the Rural Economy section at no additional costs.
Action required: A letter to be circulated to all organic producers in Jersey inviting them to apply for the proposed support payment, accompanied by a receipted invoice for the costs of each farm’s 2015/16 organic registration fees and field schedule showing the area of agricultural land under organic status. On receipt of the above information payment will be requested from Treasury.
Signature:		Position: Minister for Planning and Environment
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Organic Farmers: Financial support to cover 2015/16 audit and registration fees

Department of the Environment

Support for commercial organic farms to cover their 2015/16 audit and registration fees to a recognised certification body

Purpose of the Report

Provide a transitional support payment to cover the auditing costs incurred by commercial organic farmers in Jersey by annually registering with a recognised organic certification body (i.e. Soil Association) for the year 2015/16.

Background

The above support is in addition to the payment of £12.59 per vergée (in line with the organic rotational land annual maintenance payment in England in 2015) which has recently been paid on all agricultural land commercially farmed and registered with a recognised organic certification body during the calendar year 2015.

This additional support, to cover the organic annual audit and registration fees, is being provided to ensure that smaller organic farms, where the above area payment provides little or no support for these farms, are not disadvantaged. In addition this payment further recognises the current industry concerns regarding low market returns for organic produce.

Details
It is expected that 8 organic farms will claim their annual organic audit and registration fees at an average cost of £600 per farm amounting to a total of £4,800.

The above support, together with the previously approved organic area support, will amount to an approximate total support for the commercial organic sector of £15,000 in 2015.

This organic support will be funded from the allocated Countryside Enhancement Scheme (CES) 2015 budget.

Recommendation

The Minister approves funding for the annual audit and registration fees for farms in the commercial organic farming sector from the CES budget for 2015.

Written by:	Rural Economy Manager

Approved by:	Director Environmental Management and Rural Economy

Ministerial Decision Case Ref: MD-PE-2015-0029