2016 Organic Sales Up 23 Percent

Sales of organic agriculture products increased 23 percent in 2016, compared with levels from 2015, according to the Department of Agriculture. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service released the annual Certified Organic Survey Wednesday. The survey finds U.S. farms produced and sold $7.6 billion in certified organic commodities, up 23 percent from $6.2 billion in 2015. During the same year, the number of certified organic farms in the country increased 11 percent to 14,217, and the number of certified acres increased 15 percent to five million. California, with $2.9 billion in certified organic sales, continued to lead the nation in certified sales, accounting for 38 percent of the U.S. total. Ten states accounted for 77 percent of U.S. certified organic sales, virtually the same share as in 2015 and 2014. Top organic commodities, according to USDA, include milk, eggs, broiler chickens, apples and lettuce.