Export of Organic Millets | 06 May 2021

Why in News

In a major boost to exports of organic products from the country, the first consignment of millets grown in the Himalayas would be exported to Denmark.

• APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) has sourced ragi (finger millet), and jhingora (barnyard millet) from farmers in Uttarakhand for exports.
• At present, organic products are exported provided they are produced, processed, packed and labelled as per the requirements of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).

Key Points

• National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP):
  
  • The NPOP has been implemented by APEDA since its inception in 2001 as notified under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulations) Act, 1992.
  • NPOP covers standards for crops and their products, live stocks and poultry products, aquaculture, apiculture etc. The exports from the country are as per the provisions in NPOP.
  • The NPOP certification has been recognized by the European Union and Switzerland which enables India to export unprocessed plant products to these countries without the requirement of additional certification.
    
    • It also facilitates export of Indian organic products to the United Kingdom even in the post Brexit phase.
  • NPOP has also been recognized by the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) for trade of organic products in the domestic market.
  • Organic products covered under the bilateral agreement with NPOP need not to be recertified for import in India.
• Organic Farming:
  
  • According to FSSAI, ’organic farming’ is a system of farm design and management to create an ecosystem of agriculture production without the use of synthetic external inputs such as chemical fertilisers, pesticides and synthetic hormones or genetically modified organisms.
  • Related Initiatives:
    
    • Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCDNER).
    • Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), etc.
  • The Indian state of Sikkim achieved the feat of being the world's first organic state and was awarded the UN Future Policy Gold Award 2018, also known as the Oscar for best policies.
• Status of India’s Export of Organic Food:
  
  • India’s export of organic food products rose by more than 51% to Rs. 7078 crore during April-February (2020-21) compared to the same period in the previous fiscal (2019-20). In terms of quantity, the exports of organic food products grew by 39%.
  • Oil cake meal is a major commodity of the organic product exports from the country followed by oil seeds, fruit pulps and purees, cereals & millets, spices, tea, medicinal plant products, dry fruits, sugar, pulses, coffee, essential oil etc.
  • India’s organic products have been exported to 58 countries including USA, European Union, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Israel and South Korea.

Source: PIB