The area under organic production in Spain has increased by 6.7 per cent year on year.

Acreage has climbed to almost one million hectares, and the number of operators in the sector has risen by five per cent, to more than 20,000.

Fruit and vegetable acreage falls far behind that of cereals, but organic production of citrus, tree fruit and potatoes are all rising.

The figures were released by national farm minister Elena Espinosa, who hopes to see continued growth in the sector, for the national market.

Some 80 per cent of Spanish organic production is exported. The area under production represents less than two per cent of total Spanish land under agricultural uses, but growth in conversion is running at 16 per cent annually.

Spain has the second-largest organics acreage in the EU.

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