FARMERS in Wiltshire are being offered cash to convert to organic methods by the Ministry of Agriculture.

So far 74 farmers in the county have converted 6,523 hectares to organic production.

Philip Abbatt, chairman of the Calne, Devizes and Pewsey branch of the National Farmers' Union, said going organic was attractive but it required a huge commitment.

Mr Abbatt, who farms at Potterne, said he is toying with the idea himself.

He said: "Any improved assistance towards converting to organic agriculture has to be welcome. There seems to be a growing demand for organic food and the more production we can switch to that type of farming the better.

"However, some farmers are holding back because it takes two years to switch to organic production and they worry that by then so many others will be doing it that the price will have collapsed and the economics will not be as good as anything as they are now"

A total of 1,270 farmers nationally have joined ministry conversion schemes to meet the expanding demand from consumers. The Organic Farming Scheme was launched in April last year and closed to new applications last November. The scheme will re-open for applications in January.

Farmers in the scheme enter into five year agreements worth £450 per hectare for arable land and £50 per hectare for unimproved land. Under the England Rural Development Programme, £140 million has been allocated to assisting organic conversion.

Countryside Minister Elliot Morley said: "The demand for organic food is continuing to increase and so we have made a further £18 million available next year to help farmers move into the sector."