The week of September 23 has been proclaimed as Organic Week in Prince Edward Island by Agriculture Minister Neil LeClair. The proclamation is aimed at raising awareness of the growing importance of the organic sector in the province.
“Government and industry are working closely together to expand the production and marketing of organic products,” said Mr. LeClair. “The demand for organic products currently exceeds supply, and that provides a major opportunity to expand and diversify the agriculture industry in this province.”
Under the organic industry development program, the Department of Agriculture is supporting producers and processors for projects that support product and value chain development.
The organic sector has shown strong growth throughout the Atlantic region in recent years. The number of certified organic farms has increased by 27 percent since 2002, and the number of farms in transition to organic production has increased by 115 percent. The value of organic production in the region is more than $10 million annually.
Mr. LeClair said that the region is a net importer of organic products, and he would like to see production expanded to meet the demand, which he said is increasing by 20 percent annually. “Prince Edward Island is ideally positioned to capitalize on this growing trend, and I look forward to working with both conventional and organic producers to support the continued growth of the organic sector,” he said.