Marketing

The policy for marketing produce from the Greenmount Organic Unit is through locally based organic processors.

Within NI organic beef cattle can be marketed through ABP, Newry, who will offer contracts to farmers willing to make a commitment to supply all of their organic cattle during conversion and through full organic production. North West Organic Co-op Society Ltd, a producer’s co-operative, market beef and lamb through WD Meats in Coleraine.

Suitable female stock (both heifers and ewe lambs) from the Greenmount Organic Unit will be retained as replacement breeding stock on the College farms or sold onto commercial farms.

The conventional routes to market currently used to sell your farm products may not cater for organic produce.

Many involved with organic production feel it is particularly important to supply produce to local direct sales outlets and assist them in maximising the proportion of Northern Ireland produce which they sell.

It is therefore essential that anyone converting to organic production researches and plans the markets for their products to maximise market return.

There are a number of established routes to organic markets in Northern Ireland

- Farm shops
- Box delivery schemes
- Farmers markets
- Mail order / e-commerce

© DARD  2008