Revised EU rules for export of organic products
Recently APEDA has organized a webinar for Indian exporters on the Revised Regulations of the European Union (EU) on Organic Products.
- The European Union is the second major destination for Indian organic food products. Under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), exports to EU stood at $356 million in 2020-21, accounting for around 34% of the $1040 million worth worldwide organic food products exported from India.
- Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of organic products in the state. It is followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.
- Oilseeds account for the largest share of organic products. This is followed by the share of fiber crops, sugar crops, cereals and coarse cereals etc.
Certification of organic food products:
Organic Certification: This is a process of certification for producers of organic food. It generally sets production standards for food items from growing to storage, processing, packaging and shipping.
There are two schemes related to organic certification in India:
- National Program on Organic Production (NPOP):
- It was started in the year 2020. This is a kind of third party certification. Under this, the processing of farm or agricultural produce is certified according to national / international standards by a recognized organic certification agency.
- The certification is conducted by “APEDA” (working under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry). The full name of APEDA is Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.
- Participatory Guarantee Scheme for India (PSG-India):
- Under this, producers assess, inspect and verify each other’s production methods. It is administered through the National Center for Organic Farming under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Schemes for Promotion of Organic Farming in India:
- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY);
- Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD-NER)
Source – The Hindu