Perceptions from Tasmanian organic farmers about the availability of information on organic farming practices

Organic farming is experiencing a steady growth and market signals indicate that this expansion will continue. Organic products are becoming common in mass markets and are in high demand for export to foreign markets. In order to capture a larger share of the growing niche market, the Tasmanian organic industry is confronted with the challenge of expanding its industry to encompass more producers. The response from the Tasmanian organic industry has so far been an increase of 70 percent in the total area of certified organic production within the last three years. However, members of the Tasmanian Organic sector acknowledge the existence of impediments to successful expansion. One of the major obstacles they identified was that organic farmers and those looking to convert, are challenged by a dearth of available information. This research addresses the issue of whether is there lack of information about organic practices among Tasmanian organic farmers, and whether such a lack of information is a constraint for the expansion of the organic farming sector. The aims of this research were to evaluate the information sources used and the types information required by Tasmanian organic farmers. Such an evaluation was necessary in order to direct future research initiatives and to better plan the provision of extension services. The majority of the 13 organic farmers that took part in the study had been involved with the organic industry in southern Tasmania for more than five years, which was an important criterion for ensuring the validity of the qualitative analysis using semistructured interviews. The organic farmers were a diverse group. Their main sources of information included books, trial and error and peer advice. There was consensus among the farmers about the lack of information about post-conversion production techniques. There was also a tendency among Tasmanian organic farmers for a high degree of self-reliance for the acquisition of information. However, the lack of information does not currently appear to be a major constraint on the expansion of the industry. Nevertheless, production orientated research and effective educational strategies retained importance among farmers for the successful advancement of their industry.