The acreage devoted to organic production in Almeria in 2015 has increased by 20% compared to 2014 and reached 46,775.50 hectares, 5% of Andalusia's total, according to provisional data of the Council of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development of Andalusia. Almeria is also the province with the highest number of people devoted to the organic industry in 2015, with 19% of the region's total; the figure stands at 2,685, taking into account producers, processors, traders and importers.
Almeria leads the ranking when it comes to the production of organic vegetables, with 1,948.22 hectares. As for the industry working with this type of production, there are 175 companies, most of them fruit and vegetable traders (89), followed by those devoted to the packaging and marketing of nuts (18) and to the production of cans and juices (12). Lastly, 10 firms are devoted to the extraction and packaging of organic extra virgin olive oil.
Councillor Carmen Ortiz, who visited the company Ecosur, Organic Products from the South, based in the municipality of Benahadux, placed emphasis on Andalusia's potential in the cultivation and marketing of such products, "which are increasingly in demand and appreciated by consumers." In this sense, she explained that organic products, which will receive EUR 201.58 million in support through the Rural Development Programme (RDP), will also have preferential consideration in the granting of RDP aid for the modernization of farms or the improvement of agro-businesses. One of the priorities of the Council of Agriculture is to increase the domestic consumption of organic products, since until now they barely account for 1% of the production.
Carmen Ortiz praised the work of Ecosur, which is devoted to the production and marketing of organic fruit and vegetables. With an annual output of more than 5 million kilos, its turnover amounts to around € 8 million. It currently has 110 hectares of organic crops and 5,000 square metres of facilities where 70 employees are in charge of handling, packaging, cooling and transport logistics.
Its main products are regular tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, cherry tomatoes on the vine, aubergines, melons and watermelons, which are marketed through direct sales to major European supermarket chains and home-delivery companies, mainly in Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
