“The report also shows that organic producers are providing a wide variety of products to customers and are getting those items from farm to table more efficiently”. “I can sell everything I produce”, said Dan Beougher, who operates an 11-acre organic farm with his wife in Maxwell, Ia. About 563 million pounds of organic apples, worth $250 million, were produced in 2012.
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Nearly 40 percent of survey respondents indicated they intend to increase their organic production within the next five years.
On selection, organic products ranged from dairy and proteins to fruits, vegetables and grains.
The survey also reviewed top states for organic sales value, finding California leading the way with $2.2 billion.
Americans are increasingly hungry for naturally-grown and healthier foods and, according to a new USDA statistics, sales of the organic farms in the USA skyrocketed in 2014 with consumer spending up 72 percent since 2008. California led the United States organic sales of $2.2 billion a year ago which represented 41 percent of sales. The that the number of larger farms that are certified as organic rose 15 percent from 2008 to 12,634, said by USDA.
By the rate of growth, Maine ranked sixth among all states, with the number of organic farms rising about 36 percent over the period.
Farmers markets are important outlets for the sale of organic agricultural products.
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Sales are geographically concentrated, with 10 states accounting for 78 percent of business in 2014, according to the USDA. The survey indicates that from 2011-2014, 87 organic operations reported total losses of about $6.1 million in crop losses from GMOs, or about $70,000 per farm affected. “These figures are going to become more and more important”, Batcha said. Sales at natural and organic retailers rose 9 percent in the past year, compared with a 1.3 percent gain at supermarket chains and other conventional retailers, from Spins, a market research firm that tracks data from store scanners. To join the webinar, visit www.readytalk.com, dial 1-866-740-1260, and use passcode 720 6000.
