Chair of the IFA organic project team Nigel Renaghan. A number of factors contributed to the low numbers of applicants for the Organic Farm Scheme (OFS), chair of the IFA organic project team Nigel Renaghan has said. The Department of Agriculture reported just 317 applications to the scheme, despite increased funding to facilitate between 400 and 500 new applicants. “The opening of the REAP scheme forced farmers to decide between the two, with REAP offering a significantly higher per-hectare payment. “The number of applicants highlights the lack of support available to the organic sector,” Renaghan said. “Also, the points-based system discouraged livestock farmers from applying.