Organic Livestock Comment Period and Inflation Hits Organics

**The public comment period has been extended on proposed changes to U.S. organic regulations for organic livestock and poultry production.

A proposed rule, published August 9, clarifies living conditions, healthcare, transportation and slaughter practices.

Recommended changes would also establish indoor and outdoor space requirements and stocking-density limits for poultry.

The USDA has extended the deadline for comments to November 10.

**A new study on lettuce production indicates California’s farm output would shrink, and food prices would rise without commonly used pesticides like pyrethroids and neonicotinoids.

ERA Economics found growing costs for lettuce farmers would increase by as much as $290 per acre if they have to resort to alternative crop protection materials.

The ban for California’s $2 billion annual lettuce crop would increase farmers’ production costs by more than 12% and lettuce prices could jump by up to 8.2%.

California produces three-fourths of the nation’s lettuce.

**Ongoing inflation resulted in higher retail prices of organic fresh produce during the third quarter.

The Organic Produce Network says that generated a 4.1% increase in total organic dollars but also contributed to a decline of 4.5% in organic volume compared to the same period last year.

Overall, organic fresh produce per pound prices increased 8.9%.

Conventional produce increased more than 10%.