Salzburg leads Austria in organic farming as feed shortages persist

Salzburg remains Austria’s leading state for organic farming, with more than 3,500 organic farms, but many producers still face feed shortages after the hot summer, ORF reports. Organic farms make up almost half of all agricultural businesses in the state.

Although the meadows have turned green again, the coming winter remains a challenge for many organic farmers, said Andreas Schwaighofer, chief executive of Bio Austria. Suitable feed is harder for organic farms to find, he said.

Some organic farms have closed in recent years or switched to conventional farming. One factor was lower subsidies for organic farms under ÖPUL, Austria’s national agri-environmental programme. But that trend is now reversing, Schwaighofer said.

Younger people taking over farms are increasingly choosing organic production, he said. Negotiations are under way on the next ÖPUL period, with the aim of finding a good solution and making a return to organic farming more attractive. “There is simply a market for it,” Schwaighofer said.

Organic products now account for about 13 percent of food retail sales, a record, according to figures from Agrarmarkt Austria.