Andhra Government Establishes Organic Product Certification Wing

Due to the stringent cost of getting certified by private labs, the establishment of an Organic Product Certification laboratory and agency has become pivotal.

The foundation of the Andhra Pradesh State Organic Products Certification Authority Wing in the state is a further step towards promoting organic cultivation and nourishing a stable market for organic farmers to sell their goods. Due to the absence of organic certification agencies in the state, the communities of farmers fostering organic crops were facing many difficulties regarding traders, customers, and processing. As obtaining certification and seed tests from private organizations is costly, the establishment of such agencies by the government became critical. 

Certification for organic products is a requirement as they convey the genuineness of the product. It also enables customers to determine whether the product their buying is organic or not. Certification also becomes critical in cases as some companies claim their products to be organic however, they cannot provide any certifications to back up their claims.  

The Andhra Pradesh State Agriculture Mission Vice-Chairman, MVS Nagi Reddy said in an interview that if people are spending more money to buy genuine organic products and to ensure that they get genuine and organic products, the certification becomes more important in this regard.  

Due to the given instances, the director of the Andhra Pradesh Seed Certification Authority (APSSCA) wrote a letter to the government exhorting it to take into account the proposal for the foundation of the AP State Organic Products Certification Authority (APSOPCA). Under the direction of the APSSCA chairperson and having it registered a separate wing. He furthermore, requested Rs. 1.55 crore as financial support (grant-in-aid) to APSSCA for one year, in order to launch the certification wing.  

He also demanded the funding to continue until the APSOPCA becomes self-sustained. Last week, the state government sanctioned Rs. 1.55 crore as required for the establishment of APSOPCA.