Organic beef industry booming

Updated January 10, 2014 12:51:18

The organic trend is catching on around Australia, particularly in beef production

Over the last two years Australian Certified Organics, the national accreditation body, recorded a 25 per cent increase in applications from beef producers wanting to register as organic.

Certification officer Matt Baker says market opportunities can make the transition an attractive concept for producers.

"The demand for exports of beef overseas particularly in the United States; there seems to be a strong market over there.

"China's the dark horse in this situation in terms of what it will turn out to be in the next few years."

He says the process of becoming organic is an easier transition for livestock producers.

"Compared to other industries like broad acre cropping and horticulture, because they are so low input operations there isn't a lot that they need to change.

"I think the evidence sort of speaks for itself in terms of what producers are seeing now, with the differentiation between pricing compared to conventional pricing," he says.

Matt Carter, a cattle and lamb producer from western New South Wales became certified organic eight years ago and says he hasn't looked back.

"I started getting quite sick from farm chemicals and I ended up at a naturopath who said I had to make a decision about my future as a farmer."

"The three years that it takes you to become certified are the toughest and I certainly think it takes a lot of time for the animals to adjust but it gets better every year."

He says stable market conditions are a significant benefit.

"It's just a consistent price, a fantastic grid and it's something you can say, next year all the steers and heifers that I sell will get that price."

Adelaide organic meat retailer, Enrico Aisielle says while consumer interest in organic products has risen some still don't know what it all means.

"I think it's a word that sounds good and a lot of customers now get confused with free range," he says.

"Even grass fed is being thrown around because it's trendy to use."

He says reaching consumers online through social media has exposed a growing trend.

"The enquiries coming in through that, because I've been able to reach more people, have increased by about 50 to 100 per cent over the last 6 months."

Topics: beef-cattle

First posted January 10, 2014 12:47:09