Norway's Nortura to halve organic meat purchases

Norwegian meat company Nortura will reduce its organic meat purchases by 50 percent in 2010 due to a weak market.

Currently not more than 20 percent of the organic meat that is delivered can be sold with organic label.

Nortura will reduce the number of organic meat suppliers, and remaining suppliers must be more punctual and the company will pay less for the meat. The additional payment compared with conventional meat will be lowered to maximum NOK7 per kg from the current NOK10, according to information manager Tor Olav Brandtzaeg.

Organic meat accounts for only one percent of total meat consumption in Norway, a long way to go from the authorities' target of 15 percent.