Falklands see organic opportunity

3 April 2001



Falklands see organic opportunity

By FWi staff

THE Falkland Islands are being re-marketed as a clean and green land free from chemicals and disease, reports the Financial Times.

Organic production is seen as a new opportunity for producers struggling because of falling income from wool despite heavy subsidies.

The UK foot-and-mouth crisis would boost organic farming in the Falklands, admitted the islands director of agriculture, Bob Reid,

We are genuinely clean and green, and to the extent that we dont use dips and soluble fertilisers were are already organic, he told the FT>

There is no doubt that foot-and-mouth will help us in marketing terms.

The Falklands government has invested 1.5m in a new EU-standard abattoir which should come on line in July.

They hopes this will allow producers to switch from loss-making wool to beef and mutton production.

Exports of organic certified meat could begin early next year.

• Falklands to go all-organic, FWi, 30 May 2000
• All change in the Falklands, FWi, 01 January 1999
• Farms for sale in the Falklands, FWi, 22 October 1998
• Customs blocks beef to Falklands, FWi, 12 October 1998