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Quality standards for agricultural commodities are framed based on their intrinsic features and value. Standards are being raised to match international ones, keeping in mind the requirements of the World Trade Organization. Certification of agricultural commodities is carried out to benefit manufacturers as well as consumers.

The main aspect of agricultural trade is conforming to the set and prescribed norms of grading and marketing. The Directorate of Marketing and Inspection is involved in the promotion, standardization and grading of agricultural and allied produce under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act. These are commonly known as the Agmark Standards.

The Food Corporation of India, the country’s state-owned procurement and storage agency, uses testing laboratories across the country to effectively monitor the quality of food grain and provide quality assurance as per Prevention of Food Adulteration norms.

For exports
Every application for registration as an exporter of scheduled products should be written to the secretary (Directorate of Marketing and Inspection) or any other authorized officer in Form I. The Form can be obtained from the office of the authority after paying Rs.5. A certificate from any scheduled bank regarding applicant’s financial status should be annexed.

The applicant should also include self-certified copy of import-export code issued by Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and list of directors/partners/proprietor on company’s letterhead, in triplicate. A private or public limited company or society should forward a copy of its Memorandum and Article of Association and partnership firms should forward a copy of partnership deed, attested by notary. Also, a copy of PAN card, issued by Income Tax Department, e-mail ID and phone and fax numbers of the applicant should be included in the application.

In case an exporter wants to register as a manufacturer exporter, he should furnish the copy of company’s registration with FFO, Directorate of Industries, State Department of Horticulture/Agmark/EIA. Cash payment, demand draft or a pay order of Rs.5,000 in favor of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is required, payable at specific APEDA office.

The form generally includes fields like name and full postal address of the party, name(s) of the commodity proposed to be graded, period for which the applicant has been in business and names and address of two representatives of the firm who will be present as the grading is done and correspond in the matter.

For grading, a RBI code number, if any, exporter’s registration number, if any, membership of the commodity board — APEDA, Export Promotion Council etc — is also needed. For milk-based commodities, milk and milk products order number along with import export code number, issued by DGFT, should be furnished.

Storage is critical to grading. An exporter has to submit the food grain storage license number for wheat atta, suji, maida, besan and other cereals and pulses, full address of premises on which grading and marking will be carried out and details of the owner of the premise. If premise is self owned, an ownership declaration on a non-judicial stamp paper of Rs.5 has to be submitted.

Also, an exporter has to furnish details of the machinery/packing machines/storage tanks/cold storage available in the plant / on premises and their capacity. Various commodities will have other specifications like details of grinding unit in case of ground spices, precautions proposed to be taken to avoid admixture of different oilseeds and oils on the premises in case of vegetable or blended edible vegetable oils and details of area of collection in case of raw honey.

Laboratory Arrangements
The applicant is required to specify the type of laboratory at which grading and marking is proposed to be undertaken i.e. own laboratory/state grading laboratory/commercial laboratory/association/co-operative laboratory and its name and address.

Certification of Fruit & Vegetables for export
The European Commission (EC) has instructed its member countries to introduce checking operations with regard to import of fresh fruit and vegetables at their respective points of entry. The Commission has, however, said that it will allow entry of such commodities if checks have been carried out in the exporting country and if all relevant information is provided to it. In this regard, Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has stated that all fresh fruit and vegetables exported to European Union may be inspected and certified by Directorate of Marketing & Inspection (DMI), Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture. The inspection and certification is voluntary in nature.

Accordingly, standards of 18 important fruit and vegetables viz. grapes, litchi, mango, pomegranate, guava, pineapple, banana, papaya, plum, shelling pea, sugar snap pea, ribbed celery, headed cabbage, spinach, brussels sprout, tomato, garlic and onion were put on inspection and certification list. These standards are in sync with EC and Codex Standards.

In India, the European Commission has designated Directorate of Marketing and Inspection as an official authority and inspection body to check conformity to marketing standards applicable to fresh fruit and vegetables prior to import.
The details of certification scheme can be obtained from the nearest DMI office. The inspection and certification process looks to establish that a premise is hygienic, surroundings are clean, premise is not located near tanneries, chemical plants and fertilizer plants and that walls of a premise are properly plastered and free from crevices, holes and dampness. Also, thatched roof is not advisable.

An applicant also needs to ensure that his premise is pest, insect and rodent proof, free from cobwebs and spiders, has proper drainage system and arrangement for disposal of rejected, rotten and waste horticulture produce.

©Entrepreneur June 2011

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