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Chinese farmers cash in on demand for organic food
Songyuan, China, Oct 19: As consumers in the west grow increasingly hungry for organic food, Chinese farmers see a niche market worth cultivating.
Songyuan, China, Oct 19: As consumers in the west grow
increasingly hungry for organic food, Chinese farmers see a niche
market worth cultivating.
In this corner of rural China, the word is out that more and more
people abroad are willing to pay extra for what they believe is a
healthier and more environmentally friendly diet.
Sales of organic food in the united states alone reached 11 billion in 2002 and are projected at 13 billion in 2003, and farmers are ready to get their hands dirty to reap the benefits.
''Farmers are very keen. They even pick out worms by hand,'' said Wang Tingshuang, general manager of a farm in the key northeastern agricultural province of Jilin.
''They earn more money. They don't have to worry about sales. They don't have to worry about storage. There's no reason why they shouldn't go for organic farming,'' he said.
Wang's farm, the Fuyu farm for returned overseas Chinese, is a long way from any trendy restaurant with a healthy menu. But that is where its output could easily end up.
The farm, with 350 workers, is converting part of its 2,000-hectare area for conventional crops into land for organic soybeans, corn or kidney beans for export to Japan, Europe or the United States.
Organic farmers work the land without the aid of chemical agents typically used by farmers to control insects and weeds or to fertilise fields.
Industry officials say foreign buyers pay Chinese farmers at least 30 percent to 50 percent more for organic food, knowing they can get large premiums from sales in developed countries.
Bureau Report
Sales of organic food in the united states alone reached 11 billion in 2002 and are projected at 13 billion in 2003, and farmers are ready to get their hands dirty to reap the benefits.
''Farmers are very keen. They even pick out worms by hand,'' said Wang Tingshuang, general manager of a farm in the key northeastern agricultural province of Jilin.
''They earn more money. They don't have to worry about sales. They don't have to worry about storage. There's no reason why they shouldn't go for organic farming,'' he said.
Wang's farm, the Fuyu farm for returned overseas Chinese, is a long way from any trendy restaurant with a healthy menu. But that is where its output could easily end up.
The farm, with 350 workers, is converting part of its 2,000-hectare area for conventional crops into land for organic soybeans, corn or kidney beans for export to Japan, Europe or the United States.
Organic farmers work the land without the aid of chemical agents typically used by farmers to control insects and weeds or to fertilise fields.
Industry officials say foreign buyers pay Chinese farmers at least 30 percent to 50 percent more for organic food, knowing they can get large premiums from sales in developed countries.
Bureau Report