According to a Report on the Organic Market in the Czech Republic, organic sales have maintained an upward trend since 2011. In 2012, the Czech organic market grew by 6.7%, reaching 1.78 billion CZK. The share of organic food consumption, however, remains very low, at around 0.6-0.7%.
Almost two-thirds of organic product consumers purchase them in stores belonging to retail chains. The share of direct sales from growers is also on the rise, reaching almost 6% in 2012. That same year, retailers sold 1.65 billion CZK worth of organic products, while growers made a total of 105 million CZK.
Meanwhile, Czech companies in 2012 exported 624 million CZK worth of organic products, almost a tenth more than in 2011; however, about one-fifth of these were re-exports. The value of re-exports in 2012 more than doubled, with organic imports to the Czech Republic reaching 752 million CZK.
According to the Czech Minister of Agriculture, Mariana Jurecki, statistical data confirm the growing consumer interest in fresh local food and the development of new forms of direct sales, including farmer’s fairs and farmer’s stores in large cities. She affirms that the development of organic agriculture receives public support in the form of subsidies granted to organic producers.
The action plan adopted in 2010 by the Czech government aims to increase the share of organic farming to 15% by 2015. The plan also seeks to improve the ratio between imports and domestic production in favour of the latter.
14.07.2014
Source: freshplaza.com
