29/4/08

Welsh organic sector set for growth

The land area under organic management in Wales increased by 15% in 2007 and now amounts to 90,000 ha on 800 holdings, or 6.3% of Welsh agricultural area. That is one of the findings of the first comprehensive survey of Welsh organic producers published this week by Organic Centre Wales.

‘With more than 300 farmers having applied to join the new Organic Farming Scheme this year, organic farming could grow to 8-10% of Welsh agriculture by the end of 2009. An increase of 30-40% in the size of the Welsh organic sector in the next couple of years will create some exciting opportunities but could make it difficult for new producers to find a premium market for some of their products,' said Dr Nic Lampkin, Director of Organic Centre Wales and one of the report's authors. ‘Producers who are considering converting now should be aware of the risks and be able to survive periods when there may be little difference between organic and non-organic prices, as organic standards will still need to be met.’

‘Before we panic, however, it will be 2010 before most of the producers who are starting to convert now will achieve organic status, and demand is continuing to grow. This gives us time to plan, so that we can make best use of policy support and develop strategies to exploit new market opportunities.'

The report shows organic farming accounted for about 4-5% of all Welsh production in 2007, ranging from 2% in the case of pigs to more than 10% of Welsh horticulture including potatoes. An estimated 7,000 finished cattle, 110,000 finished lambs, 70 million litres of milk, 830,000 dozen eggs and 4,000 ha of arable crops were produced organically. More than 90% of this output was sold as organic. The main reason for selling products as non-organic was that they were in conversion so no organic outlet was available. Prices were strong for many products and future prospects looked positive.

However the report also shows that the organic sheep sector has been experiencing price pressures, as well as difficulties finding organic outlets for light and store lambs, reflecting concerns in the industry that the lamb market may become saturated. Very high organic feed costs are also creating concerns across all sectors.

The survey was carried out by postal and telephone survey in November and December 2007 with support from Farming Connect. Some 477 (67%) registered Welsh organic producers responded. The report can be requested free of charge from OCW’s Organic Conversion Information Service helpline (01970 622100) or downloaded from www.organic.aber.ac.uk.

Ends

Further information:

Dr Nic Lampkin, Director, Organic Centre Wales, Aberystwyth University, Tel. 01970 622248, e-mail nhl@aber.ac.uk

Sue Fowler, Policy officer, Organic Centre Wales, Aberystwyth University; Tel: 01970 622248, e-mail smf@aber.ac.uk 

Notes for the editor

1. The report can be downloaded from www.organic.aber.ac.uk or you can request a copy (free of charge) from Organic Centre Wales.

2. The survey was financially supported by WAG and EU funds as part of the Farming Connect Organic Development Programme.

3. Organic Centre Wales is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government to provide information on organic food and farming to producers, food businesses, consumers and others. It is based at Aberystwyth University and run by a partnership consisting of the ADAS, the Organic Research Centre Elm Farm, and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University.

4. The Organic Conversion Information Service (01970 622100) is funded by WAG to provide information to producers considering conversion – an information pack and up to two free on-farm visits are available.

5. The Organic Farming Scheme is open for applications – further information can be obtained from WAG Divisional Offices and OCW. To qualify, farms need to be certified as organic by a recognised body.

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