About the OPR:
Just how much of a premium should you be charging for your organic
grains and produce? Find out with The New Farm Organic Price Report
(OPR). The OPR is an online tool that helps you price competitively.
The tool tracks selected prices from the fruit, vegetable, herbs
and grain sectors, comparing organic prices to conventional prices
in markets across the country.
Prices of organically grown and conventionally grown foods are
seen side by side, highlighting the premiums organic can often
obtain. Buyers and sellers of certified organic food now know
what certain items should and do sell for around the country.
Organic farmers, who have traditionally had to insure their crops
according to conventional pricing, now have better documented
price information for their goods, resulting in more appropriate
coverage. Retail consumers can gain insight into where their market
dollars go, resulting in a better understanding of organic versus
conventional pricing and the food marketplace.
With the OPR in hand, farmers can better plan their business
strategies by tracking price trends over time, have an educated
idea of the true value of the products they produce and finally
determine production budgets based on organic sales prices.
Where we get our
data:
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES—Prices for organic
fruits and vegetables are provided by large wholesale distributors
or sales agencies that specialize in organic fruits and vegetables.
In an effort to present the most comparable prices, we selected
large distributors that handle product within the geographic location
and marketing area of the terminal market. Conventional prices
for fruits and vegetables are gathered at the terminal markets
by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), a division of the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
GRAINS—Prices for organic grains are
provided by large elevators or handlers that specialize in organic
grains. Conventional prices for grains are also gathered by AMS.
In an effort to present the most comparable prices, we selected
AMS regions that handle product within the geographic location
of the elevators or handlers.
