India is aiming to double its exports of organic products to over $1 billion by FY 2025-26, from $0.5 billion currently. Stating that quality issues among edible products being exported are a bigger concern than tariff barriers, government sources told CNBC TV18 that India is looking to sign Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) in export segments like fisheries, which face higher rejections among export consignments.
MRAs for export of edible products already exist with the European Union, China and Bhutan, while talks for a potential MRA are underway with Qatar. The government feels that MRAs will reduce the number of clearances needed for exported products in consuming nations, as well as improve understanding about quality parameters in different countries.For export promotion of edible products, portals for market access, traceability, and the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) are being developed, while the Union Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to launch revised regulations for the latter on 9th January. NPOP deals with export of organic products, where existing regulations have been in place since the past 10 years. The module on traceability is adopting IoT-based sampling techniques to manage processes involved in inspection, testing and certification for exports.
To enable exporters to meet the quality demands of global markets, the Export Inspection Council of India (EIC) has ramped up testing facilities from 21 ISO-17025 recognized labs in FY 2013-14 to 78 accredited labs in FY 2024-25. The number of export establishments approved through the EIC system have increased to 1,446 from 794 during the last decade, while export certificates accepted by importing countries have nearly doubled from 61,000 to over 120,000.
Source link
