Agriculture - Number of organic farms in Lower Saxony is increasing
The number of organic farms in Lower Saxony increased according to a newspaper report last year. The ecologically managed area is reportedly around 154,000 hectares, an increase of 6,000 hectares compared to the previous year, according to the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" (Monday), citing the Agriculture Ministry.
Moreover, there were reportedly more organic farms in the state last year than in the previous year - the ministry recorded an increase of 41 to 2,646 farms. In Germany, the number of organic farms reportedly decreased slightly - by 182 to 36,680.
Lower Saxony ranks third in Germany in terms of the number of ecologically operated agricultural businesses, according to the newspaper - behind Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. "Despite the fact that the last few years have not been easy for the organic industry, more of our farmers and farmers are converting their conventional farms to organic," said Niedersachsen Agriculture Minister Miriam Staudte to the paper. The long-term perspective for organic food products is stable, emphasized the Green politician.
However, Staudte noted that the import share for organic products is still very high. Even for domestic products such as apples, carrots, or potatoes, the import share for organic products is around 30 percent.
According to the Federal Agriculture Ministry, the organic share of the total agricultural area in Germany is 11.4 percent. Organic farming is therefore less affected by structural change than agriculture as a whole.
- The Agriculture Ministry in Hannover, the capital city of Lower Saxony, reported an increase of organic farms in the region last year.
- The "Hanover General Newspaper" highlighted that Hannover, located in Lower Saxony, has a significant number of organic farms, placing Lower Saxony third in Germany in this regard.
- The Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (BMELV) in Germany acknowledged that Lower Saxony, particularly parts like Hannover, holds a notable position in the development of organic agriculture, contributing to Germany's overall organic farming landscape.
