Organic Cultivation-Investment

GOING ORGANIC - Organic
Investing in arable land should not be a tough game or one that adds to the destruction of arable land. When taking into account the needs of farmers and land, investments in agriculture have the potential to have a significant impact. A handful of companies focusing on sustainable and organic farming are leading the pack in both land restoration and profit.

Investing in organic farming is not a simple prospect. Investors who want to make a profit while supporting sustainable farming practices have many choices, and as if the organic food movement were in its infancy, advocates of organic farming are still working out the details, trying out strategies and learning how to gather great appeal without diminishing the benefit to the farmers and the land itself.

One solution is to modify the existing arable land investment model to meet the needs of organic farming. Companies such as Iroquois Valley Farms, Farmland LP and Dirt Capitol buy arable land, turn it into organic certification and rent it to farmers through a lease program that differs significantly from the conventional model.

Organizations investing in organic land want their tenants to improve it and these improvements take time. Because of this reality (and the additional goal of wanting to empower young farmers as well as facilitate the turnover of existing farms), these companies usually do not set limits on their leases.

For this arrangement to work, companies involved in organic farming must also take an active role in land management and require their investors to understand the long-term nature of the investment before registering. In the case of the Iroquois Valley, land cannot be sold to buy shares. the land is never sold unless the farmer wants to buy it. Farmers can rent indefinitely without fear that the land will be sold below them and when they have developed their business to have enough resources for a loan, they can buy the land with which they have already built a relationship.

ROTATING GOLD FROM COMPOST
The biological model of investing in agricultural land is the opposite of the conventional model: instead of abusing and exhausting short-term users, land becomes more valuable the more it works. In a brilliant (if somewhat overgrown) feedback loop, composting conditions feed the soil, which generates a sustainable farm income, which increases the value of the land and returns it to investors. Because demand for organic products is so high in relation to supply, organic crops sell at prices doubled or quadrupled from conventional crops, making this arrangement profitable for both farmers and investors.

Organizations that offer organic land investment also prove that a sustainable version of farmland investment is not only a sense of good effort, but also a profitable one. With both the Iroquois Valley and LP fields already facing double-digit returns, the potential for even the most profitable investors to throw money at a planet-saving project exists - and that's a win for all.

Organic farming is a long-term strategy from any angle, and the most exciting angle for investors may be their resilience. As conventional cultivation models are entrenched under resource depletion constraints (drained aquifers, depleted soil fertility, or climate change-related complications), organic farms are better prepared and adapted.

 

8 organic products that promise big profits

The development prospects of organic products are huge.

Profits for producers 50% higher than conventional crops

An income higher by at least 50% compared to conventional farming methods can be generated by engaging in the production of organic products in our country.

"Professional Opportunities", with the help of agronomist Kassandros Gatsios, present a guide to the eight top organic products, based on the demand they know in the domestic and foreign markets.

With domestic turnover hovering around 100 million euros and the value of the European market growing significantly every year, exceeding 20 billion euros, organic products present huge growth prospects.

Indicative of this positive image is the fact of the increase of Greek exports, with Germany and the USA being considered the favorite customers of Greek organic products.

Organic farming is the method of cultivation in which, according to a regulation of the European Union, specific practices are applied for the production of agricultural products. These practices concern fertilization and plant protection.

The integration of the holding or the company in the systems of organic farming presupposes the selection of one of the approved bodies of control and certification of organic agricultural products by signing a cooperation contract. With this contract, the agricultural holding-enterprise is submitted to the control system. The control in organic farming is done at least once a year by the competent control body.

It is carried out at all stages of production, storage, marketing and packaging of products. The certification of organic products is done by one of the organizations that have been placed under the supervision of Agrocert, with the responsibility of controlling and certifying these products as well as the control of traders who import from third countries.

Organic olives - oil

Greek olive oil is in demand in foreign markets

Organic olive production is possible in different types of olive groves, ie an organic olive grove can be included whose first harvest can be certified. Also, a conventional or integrated management olive grove can be included after it is converted into organic farming, after of course passing a transitional stage of three years. During this transitional period, all the rules of organic farming must be met, although the final product (olives or olive oil) cannot be marketed as such.
In recent years in Greece there is a great tendency by olive growers to convert their olive crops into organic crops. Organically grown olive groves constitute 50% of the organic crops of our country. Another characteristic of organically produced olive oil is that 50% of this production is exported as a standard organic product, with prices ranging from 4-4,5 euros per kilo.

In the organic cultivation of olives, in addition to the measures that must be taken in fertilization and plant protection, the appropriate pruning must be done in order to remove the diseased branches. Harvesting should not be done with sticks. Manual harvesting is used, or mechanical harvesting - manual or electric, or with vibration of the branches and trunk.

The harvest should be followed by the immediate transfer to the olive mill for the production of olive oil on the same day or the next day.

No chemical solvents are used in the production of virgin olive oil. The product is produced using only natural methods.

After washing the olives, the grinding and kneading process follows, which lasts 25-35 minutes.

Then centrifuge for 40-60 minutes. After the production process, the olive oil must be stored quickly, avoiding contact with air and light, in containers made of inert materials.

Organic grape - wine - tsipouro

Income up to 2.800 euros per acre for winemakers

The production and demand of wines produced from organically grown grapes are increasing. Organic vine cultivation is the method of cultivation in which, according to a regulation of the European Union, specific practices are applied for the production of organic grapes. These practices concern fertilization and plant protection.

In winemaking, the differences between conventionally produced and organic wine are small.

The European Union has passed Regulation 834/2007, which replaces Regulation 2092/91. It introduces for the first time the framework through which the certification of organic wine is done. According to him, since January 1, 2009 the framework of specifications has been created through which the organic wine is certified.

A three-year European program has been launched in many countries and in three regions of Greece in order to reach a protocol for organic winemaking.

Organic wine is sold today after the adoption of the relevant regulation by the EU. The new regulation has been in force since the 2012 harvest. "organic wine" and not "wine from organic grapes", as was the case until 2012 when the relevant regulation had not been implemented.

The largest organic vineyards exist in Italy, 303.000 acres, in France, 215.000 acres, and in Spain, 176.600 acres, while in Greece, 38.750 acres of vineyards are cultivated for the production of organic wine.

The income that can be generated to producers by creating this new wine category is at least 20-25% higher than that of conventional winemaking.

The gross income of the organic grape grower is estimated to be 1.700-2.000 euros per acre, if we take as a basis an average production of 1.000 kg / acre and an average price of 1,5-2 euros per kilo.

In the organic wine winery 1.600-2.800 euros per acre, if we calculate a production of 600-800 kilos of wine per acre and a price of 2,7-3,5 euros per kilo.

Tsipouro is a Greek alcoholic beverage that is prepared by distilling the marc, in a cauldron, ie the remnants of the grapes after pressing and extracting the must to make the wine or even from grapes without extracting the must. Before distillation the marcs must undergo fermentation which takes about 30 days. The grapes always come from organic vineyards.

During the distillation in some areas are added to the distiller, and anise to give the tsipouro a special aroma. The tsipouro is often distilled a second time to make it stronger. Economic returns for producers are high.

Greek oregano. The best in the world

Oregano grows naturally in many parts of Europe, Asia and North Africa. In our country it grows almost all over Greece, mainly in semi-mountainous and mountainous areas. Greek oregano is considered the best in the world in terms of quality.

Oregano is a plant that is very cold tolerant. In winter, the aboveground part is destroyed, then in the spring, the underground part re-grows, while it is very resistant to drought.

The collection is done when the plants are in full bloom. It can be done with scythes when the area is small or with a lawn mower when it is large, and then transferred to the dryer. When there is no dryer, it is transferred to a threshing floor, where it is dried in the sun.

After drying, the oregano is rubbed and sieved to remove large pieces of shoots. The installation cost amounts to 220 euros per acre. The price of the dry drug of organic oregano is three times higher than the conventional one and amounts to 5-6 euros per kilo, ie with a production in full production of 300 kilos, it can give a net income of around 1.000 euros per acre.

Organic pepper

The prices reach 3 euros per kilo

Pepper can be grown in soil that can be sandy, sandy or loamy. It should have good drainage, high organic matter content and pH 6-7.

Pepper plants grow normally at temperatures ranging from 16-18 ° C at night and 22-28 ° C during the day. The pepper must be supported, because it improves the sunshine and the aeration of the plants, resulting in better and greater production.

The fruits of the pepper can be harvested when they are immature (stage of ripe green), which is characterized by the dark glossy green color, or when they are ripe and have acquired the characteristic color of their variety. At the stage when the fruits are harvested green, then they have reached the maximum size. The fruits are cut by hand or with scissors or a knife and along with the fruit a part of the stem is cut so that the fruits are preserved for a longer time.

Pepper yields can reach 3.500-5.000 kg per acre in greenhouses and in some cases up to 8.000 kg. In outdoor crops the average production is 2.000-3.000 kg per acre. The prices enjoyed by the producers for the green organic peppers are around 1,5-2,0 euros per kilo, while for the colored ones around 3 euros per kilo.
The cost of installation and cultivation can be 1.200-1.500 euros per acre. Most of the cost of cultivation is related to the harvest of fruits that is done by hand. In an outdoor cultivation it can give a net income of 1.700-2.000 euros per acre.

Organic tomato

Net profits up to € 1.800 per acre

Among the vegetables that are organically grown in Greece, to a large extent, is the tomato. The reason is that it has many advantages, both due to the high demand for the product and the way it is produced. In organic farming, the use of synthetic chemicals for plant nutrition and protection is not allowed. In contrast, in conventional agriculture the agro-ecosystem accepts cultivation practices, which use large quantities of chemical fertilizers and pesticides resulting in its burden.

Tomato is a plant that absorbs large amounts of nutrients from the soil. 3-4 tons of manure or 3-5 tons of compost per acre should be used. Also the fight against pests and diseases must be done with the allowed biological preparations. The harvest of the fruits starts from the stage after the change of the color of the fruit from green to red and is done in repetitions with the hands. An average production of a plant for outdoor cultivation is 1.8 kg. That is, the average yield per acre can be calculated at 3.5-4.5 tons.

The cost of installation and cultivation is 1.200-1.500 euros per acre. Organic farming can give a net income of 1.500-1.800 euros per acre.

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