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Soil Association report highlights profitability of organic farming

23rd Apr 2021 - 08:42
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Abstract
The Soil Association’s new report: Organic Farming and Growing: Does it stack up?, has found that farm net income has continued to increase for organic farms with an average of £690/ha compared to just £288/ha for non-organic farms.

The report underlines there are growing business opportunities in arable, horticulture and livestock sectors for organic conversion.

Liz Bowles, director of farming & land use and the Soil Association, said: “Last year the organic market grew by 12.6% its biggest year-on-year increase in 15 years. With such a positive market outlook, we are seeing renewed interest among farmers and growers in converting to organic to meet this growing demand.

“We hope this report will help producers and land managers who are interested in organic conversion to make a more informed decision. When you are ready, we are here to discuss your options.”

Key findings from the report include:

  • The closing of the hospitality industry ‘turned off’ demand for cage eggs and dialled up the demand for higher welfare British eggs.
  • Innovations in the technology behind weeding and seeding have improved the profitability the organic arable sector providing farmers with efficient alternatives to herbicides.
  • Many organic farmers have been embracing drought tolerant herbal leys, focusing on grazing management and increasing the use of wholecrop silage to maximise yields from forage.

The report is free to download on the Soil Association’s website, www.soilassociation.org/does-it-stack-up.

Written by
Edward Waddell