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9/7/08
Welsh organic production
continues to increase
Welsh organic production continues to increase Wales’ organic land area
increased by 22% during the year ending January 2008, reaching 6.4% of the total
agricultural area, according to statistics released on 3 July by Defra. Some 857
holdings are now in conversion or fully organic, compared with 710 in January
2007, showing that Wales is on well on the way to meet the Welsh Organic Action
Plan target of 10-15% of Welsh land organic by 2010.
“We believe this growth is a reflection of both good market conditions and
the positive support for the organic sector from the Welsh Assembly Government,
in particular through their support for the Organic Conversion Information
Service (OCIS), as well as Organic Centre Wales and the Organic Action Plan”
said Dr Nic Lampkin, Director of Organic Centre Wales. “We are anticipating
further substantial growth in 2008 as a result of the reopening of the improved
organic farming scheme, which is likely to take the organically managed land
area to 8-10% of Welsh agricultural land, well ahead of the rest of the UK.”
The statistics show that just over 96,000 ha of land in Wales is under
organic management, of which over two-thirds is fully organic, and the remaining
third is in conversion. There are also 149 processers and importers with organic
certification.
The chart below shows the growth in organic farming in Wales since the first
organic action plan was developed in 1998.
|
Cumulative values as at
year ending |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
|
Certified holdings (net
of withdrawals) |
120 |
160 |
429 |
560 |
618 |
623 |
640 |
688 |
710 |
859 |
|
Certified land area |
5331 |
14868 |
40063 |
50451 |
55101 |
58280 |
64208 |
70832 |
78973 |
96035 |
|
of which fully organic |
3182 |
4494 |
8844 |
30287 |
41381 |
50240 |
55564 |
58024 |
63546 |
65127 |
|
of which in conversion |
2149 |
10374 |
31219 |
20164 |
13720 |
8040 |
8643 |
12808 |
15427 |
30908 |
|
% of 2007 Welsh land
area |
0.4% |
1.0% |
2.7% |
3.4% |
3.7% |
3.9% |
4.3% |
4.7% |
5.3% |
6.4% |
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 statistics can be seen at
http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/index/list.asp?i_id=130
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. For information on the Organic Action Plan, see www.organic.aber.ac.uk/policy
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