Authorities in the Spanish region of Murcia have backed the area’s organic sector to continue to build on the impressive production growth achieved last year, despite the current climate of economic uncertainty.

Pedro José Pérez Saura, technical director of the Murcian Council of Organic Agriculture (Caerm) believes that the variety of organic fresh produce grown in Murcia, and the differentiation of the products in export markets, means the sector will continue to thrive.

“Murcia has a great variety of products that are produced by our organic agriculture sector and this is one the principal advantages we have over other organic production regions,” Mr Pérez Saura said in a statement.

“Organic production is a type of agriculture that is clearly differentiated from other sectors and in uncertain times, such as we are experiencing at the moment, we need to focus on it more than ever,” he added.

The amount of land dedicated to organic production in Murcia increased by 52 per cent in 2008 to 37,625ha, according to the organisation.

Although dried fruit dominates the sector, organic citrus production is the region’s second most important product category, with the total cultivated area increasing by 94 per cent last year to just over 457ha.

External markets remain the principal consumers of Murcia’s organic fresh produce, with over 90 per cent of the region’s organic fruit and vegetables exported in 2008 to countries including the UK, Germany and France.

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