In an effort to match the high demand that exists in the organic industry, the Board has introduced the New Entrant Program Organic (NEPO) to encourage more new entrants to venture into organic farming.
On December 21, 2022, the Milk Board approved an organic stream within the New Entrant Program. Over the past year, the Board has been assessing the organic production pool and has identified the importance of policy strategies that support the continued renewal within the industry.
NEPO will be effective for the 2023 New Entrant Program.
Successful candidates will receive a one-time organic incentive allocation of 30% on all of the NEP Quota (15 kg initial allocation+8 kg purchased quota+8 kg matching allocation) up to a maximum of 9.3 kg. This allows an organic farmer to begin operations with up to 40.3 kg of quota.
Due to the higher amount of quota offered to NEPO candidates, all Board-allotted quota (initial allocation, matching allocation, and incentive allocation) will be classified as Specialty Continuous Daily Quota (SCDQ).
In addition to the introduction of the NEPO program, the Board has also guaranteed an interview for NEPO candidates with the NEP selection committee, provided that all requirements for application to the program are met.
The timeline to begin organic production under the NEPO (if selected) will be up to 3 years due to the additional requirements for organic production.
In order to apply for NEPO please use the NEP application and indicate your interest in producing organic milk.
Further details regarding the NEPO program will be published through an amendment to the NEP Program Guide. For any questions regarding the NEP/NEPO program, contact Intishar Jashim at ijashim@bcmilk.com.