The harvest of cereals approved for sale with organic labeling amounted to 410,500 tons in 2022.
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It was 32 percent greater than the low total harvest in 2021 and corresponds to 7 percent of the total cereal harvest.
Dry weather during the summer growing period also reduced harvest levels in 2022, particularly in the southeastern parts of the country.
But the total eco-approved grain harvest was still 24 percent larger than the average for the last five years, one of which is 2018 with crop failures caused by drought.
The yield per hectare is lower for organic cultivation than for conventional cultivation.
This is due, among other things, to the fact that chemical plant protection agents and synthetically produced mineral fertilizers are not used in organic farming.
As an example, it can be mentioned that the hectare harvest of oats in 2022 was 42 percent lower with organic cultivation in Värmland County than with corresponding conventional cultivation in the county.
Unusual and lower-yielding varieties also occur more often in organic farming than in conventional farming. In addition to spelled wheat, this also applies to, for example, einkorn wheat, Öland wheat, emmer and hulled oats.
The total harvest of peas approved for sale with organic labeling has been calculated for the year 2022 at 11,000 tonnes. It is 53 percent greater than the low total harvest in 2021.
The hectare yield increased by 51 percent compared to 2021.
The organically grown fall rape area increased by 26 percent compared to 2021 and reached a record 9,840 hectares.
For autumn rape, the total harvest that was converted and approved for sale with organic labeling therefore increased by 1,600 tonnes or 9 percent to a record 19,000 tonnes.
This despite the fact that the yield per hectare decreased by 13 percent due to damage from the winter weather.
The total harvest of food potatoes approved for sale with organic labeling is calculated for the kingdom at 33,200 tons, which is on par with 2021's results. Up to 7 percent of the country's total food potato harvest was organically grown.
Around 10 percent of the food potato area was grown organically in 2022. ■