Silver Spring, MD, Oct. 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mercaris, a market data service and online trading platform for organic, non-GMO, and certified agricultural commodities, today releases its annual Organic and Non-GMO Acreage Report. In its report, Mercaris captures key statistics around the expansion of certified organic and non-GMO field crop farming and acreage across the U.S.
The report reveals that, as of August 2018, there are 17,648 U.S. farms certified as compliant with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards for organic row crop production. This is an increase of almost 3% year-over-year, which represents 460 new operations across the country. Altogether, Mercaris estimates the amount of U.S. land certified for organic crop production will total 6.5 million harvested acres for the current year, up 2% from the previous year’s 6.4 million acres.
States along the East Coast, through the Corn Belt, and through the West reported the largest gains in total NOP certified crop operations, with the three regions adding a combined 430 certified organic crop operations. The report from Mercaris takes a deep dive into this data, providing a close look at organic alfalfa, corn, dry beans, peas, lentils, small grains, soybeans, and wheat. The report also analyzes non-GMO corn and soybean acreage.
The USDA NASS confirmed that it will not be issuing data on organic acreage for 2018, making the Mercaris Organic Acreage Report the only trusted information source in the country.
“Despite an apparent slowdown in organic acreage expansion, the report as a whole presents an overwhelmingly positive picture of the organic and non-GMO markets,” comments Ryan Koory, senior economist, Mercaris. “Despite the slower pace of growth over 2018, organic field crop producers have continued responding to expanding consumer demand in the U.S. Although the growth in organic farmland was uneven across the U.S., our research showed that organic producers are working to match the growing demand for organic livestock feed.”
“Reliable analysis about organic acreage is critical,” comments Kellee James, co-founder and CEO, Mercaris. “At Mercaris our goal is to provide that information to stakeholders, giving them the type of cutting-edge analysis that has long been available in other sectors.”
Mercaris’ market data provides up-to-date, accurate information about organic and non-GMO commodities, delivering improved visibility over market conditions and better enabling industry professionals to make critical business decisions. To learn more about the report contact Mercaris at katie.ray@mercaris.com.
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