U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Tuesday new initiatives to support the growth of organic agriculture, including revising the federal crop insurance program to lower premium price for organic crops.

During remarks to the Organic Trade Association, Vilsack affirmed government's support to organic agriculture. He said the federal crop insurance program will increase coverage options for organic producers this year and provide more options in 2014. In addition, the program will remove the current five percent organic rate surcharge on all future crop insurance policies beginning in 2014.

"These new options will extend the safety net provided by crop insurance and provide fair and flexible solutions to organic producers," said Vilsack.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is also responsible, under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA), for establishing national standards for organically-produced agricultural products. The USDA organic seal serves as an important marketing edge. With USDA certifications, farmers and ranchers can charge much higher prices on their organic products.

Over the past 10 years, the number of certified organic farms and businesses in the United States has expanded to roughly 17,750, representing a 240 percent increase.

Meanwhile, the retail value of the organic industry grew almost 9.5 percent in 2011 to 31.4 billion dollars, climbing to 4.2 percent of U.S. retail food sales in 2011. Endit

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)