4. Organic vegetable production

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Australian organic produce to be A$165 million. RIRDC (2007) estimates the retail value for organic produce is worth between A$250 - A$400 million. The Organic Food and Farming Report suggests that growth is continuing at between 10 and 30 percent a year, depending on the sector. Beef, milk and horticulture were of particular note. Almost 20 years ago pioneers of the organic industry asked the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for assistance in developing an export program and a national standard for organic production. In 1992 AQIS, in conjunction with the Organic Producers Advisory Committee (now the Organic Industry Export Consultative Committee), released the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce, which sets out the minimum requirements for organic products exported from Australia. AQIS is responsible for accrediting organic industry organisations seeking to become an AQISapproved certifying organisation. An audit of the organisation and its documented system is conducted against the requirements of the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce, the Export Control (Organic Produce Certification) Orders 1997, and importing country requirements. Once the organisation is approved, AQIS issues a Quality Management Certificate. At the time of writing seven organic certifying organisations were operating in Australia: • Australian Certified Organic • AUS-QUAL • the Bio-Dynamic Research Institute • NASAA—the National Association of Sustainable Agriculture Australia Ltd • Organic Food Chain • Tasmanian Organic Dynamic Producers • Safe Food Production Queensland. Appendix A provides contact details for these organisations. The role of the certifying organisations is to ensure that products marketed under their logo are produced according to specific standards. Each organisation has its own standards in addition to the national standard. Figure 1.1 describes the certification framework for the Australian organic industry. NASAA and Australian Certified Organic are the only Australian certifiers accredited by International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). They are also accredited with the United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program (USDA NOP); also the Japanese Agriculture Standards (JAS) administered by the Japan Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), this recognition provides market access to these countries for Australian certified products, which have been accredited by these respective systems. Sections 3.3 and 6.1 provide more information about obtaining organic certification and the organic Export Control Program. CODEX (International) AQIS National Organic Standard Organic Certifiers Organic Inspectors Domestic Consumers Export Consumers Distributors and Exporters Processors and Manufacturers Farmer Producers ORGANIC SUPPLY CHAIN Figure 1.1 Certification framework for the Australian organic industry. Source: May and Monk (2001)
1.2 Market potential for organic vegetables Horticultural produce leads the domestic market in terms of growth in organic products. In 1995 the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation valued Australian organic vegetable and herb retail sales at $28.06 million. Wynen (2003) put the retail value of horticultural products at abut A$48 million in 2000–01, with vegetables accounting for 13 percent of national organic production (see Table 1.1). Target markets see Australia as having great potential to supply both fresh and processed vegetable products, largely to meet outof-season needs. At present an undersupply of organic produce is limiting Australia’s ability to meet export demand, and temporary shortfalls have occurred in the domestic market as product is redirected to export markets. McCoy and Parlevliet (2000), from Agriculture WA, identified a range of organic products as having a high priority for further development (see Table 1.2). Compared with the United States, Europe and Japan, in Australia the domestic market for organic vegetables is expanding slowly. Relatively few wholesalers, located in the larger cities, receive the majority of fresh vegetables, distributing to specialty and health food stores, home delivery services and, increasingly, the big supermarket chains Coles Myer and Woolworths. Producers supplying these outlets report mixed experiences. Oversupply seems to occur relatively easily for most lines during peak production times, suggesting that the market is in the main a small one. Producers that can supply seasonal niches (early or late season), ‘novelty’ vegetables (such as minivegetables) or difficult-to-grow vegetables have little difficulty selling their products, usually for a significant premium. Wholesalers report mixed quality but say that product quality and presentation are generally improving. Excessive price premiums—averaging 30 percent but sometimes much greater—could be restricting sales and hampering the industry’s expansion. Farmers’ markets are becoming an increasingly popular way for producers to sell their produce. Large farmers’ markets operate in the major capital cities on most weekends. Regional markets are also growing: some regional centres are using them as a way of promoting local produce and increasing tourism. Fresh and value-added produce such as chutneys and jams are the most commonly sold items. Domestic processors are producing a range of organic vegetable products, among them canned asparagus and sweet corn, pasta sauces, potato crisps and baby food. Heinz Watties is producing frozen vegetable and baby food lines but is currently obtaining the ingredients from organic producers in New Zealand. Table 1.1 National values of horticultural organic produce: farm-gate and retail prices, 2000–01 Farm-gate price Retail price Product $’000 % of national organic production $’000 Vegetables 11 509 13 25 148 Fruit 4 070 5 8 889 General 2 249 3 4 915 Citrus 3 416 4 7 464 Grapes 348 0 659 Dried fruit 544 1 999 Nuts Total 22 136 25 48 075 Source: Adapted from Wynen (2003). Table 1.2 Organic products for further development Priority Likely Possible Beef Carrots Citrus Wheat Wine Source: McCoy and Parlevliet (2000). Apples Asparagus Bananas Canola Dairy products Honey Oats Rice Soybeans Safflower Sugar Onions Broccoli Eggs Fish Grapes Herbs Nectarines Pears Plums Poultry Potatoes Sunflower
Page 1 and 2: Going Organic Organic Vegetable Pro
Page 3: Going Organic Organic Vegetable Pro
Page 6 and 7: Contents Foreword v Executive summa
Page 8 and 9: 7. Regulatory considerations 87 7.1
Page 11: 1. Introduction to organic farming
Page 15 and 16: 2. Organic production principles: a
Page 17 and 18: Organic farming starts with the soi
Page 19 and 20: not result in loss of organic or bi
Page 21 and 22: species that act as a barrier to a
Page 23 and 24: Do I understand what organic means?
Page 25 and 26: management plan, the following ques
Page 27 and 28: No label is issued during the prece
Page 29 and 30: 4. Organic vegetable production 4.1
Page 31 and 32: 4.1.8 Monitoring performance Record
Page 33 and 34: can influence the occurrence and di
Page 35 and 36: The maintenance phase Research has
Page 37 and 38: Compost—a primary source of organ
Page 39 and 40: or crops rich in organic matter are
Page 41 and 42: anded in the crop row. The time of
Page 43 and 44: • Planning should aim to prevent
Page 45 and 46: herbicides. The certifier’s appro
Page 47 and 48: effective, so solarisation in narro
Page 49 and 50: The first step in an integrated pes
Page 51 and 52: Site selection Some sites will be m
Page 53 and 54: RIRDC Pub. No. 07/153; $15. mobile,
Page 55 and 56: lettuce varieties. Varieties can al
Page 57 and 58: Table 4.3 Indicative gross margin b
Page 59 and 60: 5. Organic vegetable case studies T
Page 61 and 62: The soil should be analysed for its
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An alternative cover cropping syste
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5.2 Organic production of pumpkin I
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Powdery mildew first appears as whi
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5.3 Organic production of processin
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not growing your own) at least 6 mo
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C.A., Multiple cropping systems, 19
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Organically acceptable insecticides
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Maintaining the proper balance of p
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6. Post-harvest management and mark
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Forces driving change in agricultur
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communicate its expectations of qua
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organisational structure, responsib
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all those elements but, to gain org
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Further processing (valueadding) As
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year. Your participation not only g
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field days, and so on. Select dates
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are held throughout the world each
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7. Regulatory considerations 7.1 Ex
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All chemicals used for pest and dis
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Appendices Appendix A Sources of in
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• Department of Natural Resources
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Phone: 03 5781 0033 Fax: 03 5781 00
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Appendix B Farming inputs The follo
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Plant disease control Substances Ay
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Bibliography ABARE 2003, Australian
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Hely, PC, Pasfield, G & Gellatley,
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Pfeiffer, E 1983, Soil Fertility, R
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Going Organic Organic Vegetable Pro
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