Organic farming, Slovenia, 2007

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The number of agricultural holdings with organic farming kept increasing, but the number of newly registered agricultural holdings in conversion showed a downward trend

Compared to 2006, in 2007 the number of agricultural holdings with organic farming increased by 16%. The number of newly registered agricultural holdings was 124, the smallest since 2001.

Utilised agricultural area with organic farming represented a small share that increases slowly

Utilised agricultural area with organic farming in 2006 represented 4.12% and in 2007 4.73% of total utilised agricultural area. The major share was in the category permanent grassland, which represented 6.50% of all grassland in 2006 and 7.06% of all grassland in 2007. Second placed are orchards, which represented 4.31% in 2006 and 6.03% in 2007. The area of vegetables and strawberries augmented from 2.23% in 2006 to 3.13% in 2007.

The highest share of utilised agricultural area with organic farming in both years was under grassland (91.28% in 2006 and 89.10% in 2007). Arable land represented 5.67% in 2006 and 8.41% in 2007. Orchards represented about 2%, vineyards about 0.20% while olive groves dropped in 2007 by more than half and covered in 2007 less than 0.01% of all utilised agricultural area with organic farming. It is obvious that the organic crop production was mainly meant for feed in organic livestock production, which on the other hand did not represent the organically produced meat on the market as Slovenia has not yet introduced organic slaughterhouses.

From 2007 on, the same trend is expected due to the easy change to organic production of grass and high subsidy, which will further increase in the next years.