Organic crops grown by 17%

The surface registered organic by the Association CAAE rose from 316,029 to 369,954 hectares in 2005. The provinces with higher growth in this period were Granada, Seville and Huelva in that order.

The data recorded by the end of the CAAE Association in fulfilling its mission as an entity that promotes the development of agriculture and livestock certified organic show an increase of 53,925 hectares in the area registered in respect the previous year. This increase represents a growth rate of 17%. Since its inception CAAE Association has been experiencing a steady development of its activities, especially since 1996. Thus, Spain is leading the production and export in Spain with two large sections, fresh produce and organic olive oil. The status of development activities to obtain the certification mark CAAE led this entity to register as one of three main bodies within the European Union.

The year 2005 has started its certification activities in the Autonomous Community of Castilla La Mancha and this has enabled the expertise and prestige of the brand CAAE also serving farmers, ranchers and industries of this community. In this sense they are registered 860 hectares in Castilla La Mancha, 83 farmers and 5 agribusiness.

By province, Almería leads the area devoted to vegetable crops, citrus and herbaceous. Cordova with olive crops and Malaga and Huelva in subtropical organic livestock. Grenada with 10,978 ha, 10,648 ha in Seville and Huelva in 8699 are the provinces where the growth in the year 2005 has been greater.

With regard to the number of operators (producers and processors), Córdoba is first with 1216, followed by Huelva and Almería with 686 to 654. The total involved in organic agriculture and livestock registered during 2005 under the brand CAAE was 4956.

The Association has also established a register of products used in organic agriculture (inputs) that are already registered 46 companies with over 260 references that are available to farmers for use in developing of organic practices. In addition, businesses can get organic certification for access to other markets like the U.S. or Japan. There were 545 business operators who are certified under the National Organic Program (NOP) of the Department of Agriculture of United States (USDA).

There are five companies that have obtained approval for its products that allows them to sell them in the Japanese market.

These days a new royal decree will be published in the Official Gazette that will require that the term ORGANIC can only be used by companies that manufacture products from certified organic agriculture and livestock. Thus ends a fight that began CAAE Association five years ago against the liberalization of this to avoid it being in food products regardless of whether or not organic.

Source: CAAE

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