NFU president Peter
Kendall has urged caution after the government was asked to
consider relaxing organic farming rules to help producers survive
the recession.
The
Soil Association has
asked DEFRA secretary Hilary
Benn to consider letting organic dairy and livestock farmers use
cheaper non-organic feed. Over a dozen other organic groups are
backing the proposal, it claims.
Although animals fed conventional feed would not be sold as
organic, the idea is that farmers would not have to repeat the
lengthy and expensive process of returning their land to organic
status when the economy recovered.
Mr Kendall acknowledged that organic farmers were losing
premiums as sales had fallen. But he warned: "I wouldn't do
anything that confuses consumers into thinking organic [status] is
something you can turn on and off.
"We have enough problems with our organic farmers facing
competition from imported organic product that has different
production standards, so I am nervous if we give out a confused and
mixed message," he added.
Sales of organic foods are believed to have plummeted by 13%
over the last three months alone. Although the NFU does not only
represent organic producers, some 7% of its 55,000 members farm
organically.
