Bright Future for Falkland Farmers

A new abattoir, built to European Union standards, was opened in July. This will allow farmers on the Islands to export meat. The steel-framed structure is 6km from Stanley, the capital, and has the capacity to process 1,500 sheep and up to 200 cattle per week. The Islands’ remote location and lack of disease, coupled with a temperate climate, provide the perfect environment for the production of organic meat. The Falkland Islands Government has recently appointed the Islands’ first organic inspector and discussions with the European Union are currently taking place.

At the same time, the Falkland Islands Development Corporation is working with the local business community, farmers and outside agencies to create a quality scheme, due to be launched in April 2002, to promote the best products from the Islands. Bob Reid, the Director of Agriculture for the Falkland Islands Government said: "The new abattoir, combined with organic certification and the quality mark will give us the opportunity to aggressively market our meat products into discerning niche markets in the coming years. As the community is small, complete transparency and traceablity is guaranteed." Subject to receiving approval from Brussels, Falklands organic meat is on target to reach the UK market next year.

Port Edgar: The First Organic Farm

Port Edgar Farm on West Falkland is on course to achieve organic status by November 2001. The farm was bought by Michael (Tex) and Mandy Alazia in 1988 and transformed from a dilapidated house and cowshed to a fully equipped working farm. The Alazias have built a new four-bedroom house, a flat, a wool shed and pens, forty miles of fencing, numerous sheds, a garage and a schoolroom for their three children. The farm is approximately 10,200 hectares in size and has 6,200 Corriedale sheep. Using natural fertilisers, including calcified seaweed collected from the beach as a lime substitute and old penguin rookery land, they have created over 100 hectares of good quality pasture. They are planning to improve 100 hectares of pasture per year and build up the sheep stock, with the aim of selling over 1,000 lambs on a yearly basis. Chemical fertilisers have never been used at Port Edgar. The Falkland Islands Government is keen to encourage farmers to move towards organic status and is offering free inspection services for the next two years.

Charlene Rowland, the Islands' organic inspector, said: "Under the special EU derogation, farms that can show no previous applications of chemical fertilisers or pesticides may be allowed to convert to organic status more quickly than is possible for farmers changing from normal farming methods to organic."

For further information on any aspect of the Falkland Islands please visit: www.falklandislands.com www.falklands.gov.fk

Falkland Islands Government Office, Falkland House, 14 Broadway, London SW1H 0BH Tel: 020 7222 2542 Fax: 020 7222 2375 E-mail: rep@falklands.gov.fk