In response to the growing demand for organic products, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry is working in partnership with the industry to diversify production and identify new and expanded markets. New support for the organic industry was announced in last year's Throne Speech.
Representatives from the organic industry and the department have developed two programs over the past year. The Organic On-Farm Research Program provides up to $5000 each to projects to evaluate and demonstrate practical farming techniques. A total of 19 projects were approved over the past season at a cost of $83,000. Under the Organic Certification Assistance Program, the department also provided financial assistance towards the cost of certification expenses. The programs are available to organic producers or to those making a transition to organic production. The department has also named Susan MacKinnon to work full time with the industry.
Raymond Loo of Springfield was one of the organic growers who conducted a project with funding under the program. His project evaluated the use of specific potato varieties as "catch crops" for Colorado Potato and flea beetles. "The research program means that organic growers now have the opportunity to do more and much-needed assessment and evaluation on their farms," said Mr. Loo. "Without funding, I would not have been able to conduct this project."
The Department of Agriculture and Forestry will also be providing financial assistance of $50,000 in support of the establishment of the Organic Agriculture Centre at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, and has made a financial commitment in support of the Atlantic Canada Organic Regional Network, which helps coordinate the development of organic agriculture in the region.
MacKinnon says that work continues in cooperation with the industry towards the completion of an Organic Development Program. This joint process will identify needs, develop programs and provide assistance to new and existing producers.
Also during the past year, the department introduced a pesticide reduction pilot project which provided on-farm assistance of up to $2500 per project to evaluate new technologies. The department has also conducted a number of evaluations of production practices on organic and conventional farms, both on its own and in cooperation with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
The Prince Edward Island organic industry has experienced steady growth in the last several years. The number of producers applying for certification has doubled, and it is estimated that upwards of 35 are now certified with about 2000 acres under production. The growth is consistent with the recent findings of a report on market opportunities in New England, which suggested that consumer attitudes to conventionally produced food is changing towards more "natural" products. It is estimated the market for organic products is growing about ten times faster than for conventional products.