Prince Edward Island’s Agriculture Minister Neil LeClair has proclaimed the week of Sept. 23 as Organic Week in the province.
The proclamation is meant to raise awareness of the importance of the organic sector in the province. “The demand for organic products currently exceeds supply, and that provides a major opportunity to expand and diversify the agriculture industry in this province,” LeClair said in a release today.
LeClair noted that the province is still a net importer of organic products and he would like to see production expanded to meet demand, which is increasing by 20 per cent per year. The province, through its organic industry development program backs farmers and processors on projects to support product and value chain development.
The number of certified organic farms in Canada’s Atlantic region has increased by 27 per cent since 2002, he noted, and the number of farms in transition to organics is up 115 per cent. Organic production in the region is valued at over $10 million per year.
