The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) has made it mandatory for 100 per cent physical verification of Indian farmers cultivating organic crops in all growers’ groups.
The verification is mandatory for registration of new organic farmers, renewal of the scope certificate, which confirms a grower’s compliance and issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) to switch certification organisations, according to a communication by a couple of certification agencies seen by businessline.
“It is a demonetisation or a special intensive revision (SIR) moment in India’s organic farming,” said trade analyst S Chandrasekaran. The development is viewed as one to strengthen the Indian organic farming system.
