Laboratories for Testing Agro Products
Organizations like Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI), an Attached Office of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under Department of Consumer Affairs prescribe grading standards/quality certification for agricultural produce in the country. DMI, under the provisions of Agricultural Produce (Grading & Marking) Act, 1937, has so far formulated 105 Grading and Marking Rules covering 213 agricultural commodities. Further, Organic Agricultural Produce Grading and Marking (Amendment) Rules, 2011 prescribe standards for certification of organic products under Agmark.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has finalized standards for Bajra, maize, ragi, jowar and barley. The standards specify grades as well as quality parameters.
For export purpose Agriculture & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has prescribed compliance with Agmark grading standards in respect of table grapes, pomegranates and okra and exporters obtain certification from Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI) through approved commercial labs.
The commodities which are certified under Agmark are Ajowain, Besan, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Chillies, Clove, Compounded Asafoetida, Coriander, Creamery Butter, Cumin, Fennel, Fenugreek, Ghee, Ground Spices, Honey, Isubgol Husk, Kinnow, Large Cardamom, Maida, Mustard Seed, Oil Cake, Poppy Seed, Pulses, Rice, Roasted Bengal Gram, Safron, Seedless Tamarind, Suji, Table Eggs, Table Potato, Tamarind Seeds & Powder, Tapioca Sago, Turmeric, Vegetable Oils, Wheat Atta, Wheat Porridge for domestic trade and Creamery Butter, Ghee, Grapes, pomegranate, Onion and Tobacco for export. Further, no organic product has been certified so far under the Organic Agricultural Produce Grading and Marking (Amendment) Rules, 2011.
There is one Central Agmark Laboratory at Nagpur and eleven Regional Agmark Laboratories located at Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Jaipur, Amritsar, Kochi, Kanpur, Guntur, Chennai, Bhopal, Rajkot which are engaged in monitoring Agmark certification and research analysis. Besides, this Agmark certification is done by 1410 approved primary grading laboratories of the packers, State Governments, Cooperatives and Commercial establishments in the country.
These grading laboratories are equipped for testing of commodities for certification under Agmark as per quality parameters prescribed in the concerned Commodity Grading and Marking Rules.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture Sh.Mohanbhai Kundaria in Lok Sabha today.
GG: SB:CP/ LABORATORIES FOR TESTING AGRO PRODUCTS /21.04.15