Growers’ leaders in the Valencia region have started a campaign to raise awareness of the low returns to producers of organics and call for a study of pricing in European markets. Cristóbal Aguado, president of the Ava-Asaja association said in a statement that growers are not receiving a substantial differential compared to conventional production despite their higher costs of production and the reduced yields implicit in growing organically.
“The major chains do not differentiate prices for organic produce sufficiently,” said Aguado. “And in so doing they are undervaluing the effort involved in meeting demanding environmental and plant-health standards.”
The president is also calling for an international market study to establish prices in destination markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. “The aim would be to understand pricing in destination markets and how that relates to returns paid to growers,” said Aguado.
Meanwhile, organic production in the Spanish province of Almeria is on the rise. Some 130ha are under protective structures in the area growing organic salads and vegetables. A further 300ha is dedicated to organic field crop production. And in the whole of Andalusia - of which Almeria is a part - area dedicated to organic production has risen by 23.5 per cent over the past year.
