Sales of organic agricultural commodities increased 31% from 2016 to 2019, according to a recently released USDA report.
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service did a survey of organic farming as part of its Census of Agriculture. The report noted that while organic commodities went up by 31%, that growth varied widely among product segments.
The biggest increases were for livestock and poultry, at 44%, and crops, at 38%. Animal products, primarily milk and eggs, increased by 12%, possibly because those products have already achieved high penetration into the organic market.
By sales, the top organic products are milk, at $1.59 billion in 2019; broiler chickens, at $1.12 billion, and eggs, at $887 million.
The number of operations producing certified organic commodities was up 17%, and land used for certified organic production was up 9%.
Asked about intentions for the future, 44% of farmers surveyed said they planned to maintain about the same level of organic production, while 29% said they planned to increase.
