Recognition of a certification agency of organic rice suspended

08-Oct-2024 11:29 AM

New Delhi. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the main operating agency of the National Program on Organic Production (NPOP) and a subordinate body of the Union Ministry of Commerce, has suspended the recognition of an authorized agency issuing certificates for organic products after a case of irregularity and manipulation came to light. Along with this, the license of an export establishment of organic rice has also been suspended and a fine of Rs 10 lakh each has also been imposed on both.

It is worth mentioning that complaints of irregularities and manipulation in the export shipment of organic rice from India were coming to the fore since last financial year when the Central Government banned the commercial export of non-Basmati white rice and imposed an export duty of 20 percent on Sela rice. It is understood that the decision to suspend the recognition of a certification agency and an export company of Sikkim was taken last week. This suspension will be for a period of one year and both will also have to pay a fine of Rs 10 lakh each.

It is worth noting that a consignment of rice of the exporting company has been detained by the customs officials since August. Against this, the company has knocked the door of Gujarat High Court where the next hearing of this case is to be held on October 17. In four months i.e. during April-July 2024, 71,131 tonnes of organic rice was shipped, including which its total export from India in these four months increased to a peak level of 1,46,585 tonnes, which was much more than the total export of 1,07,727 tonnes in the entire period of FY 2023-24. This included 1,27,120 lakh tonnes of white rice, more than 8 thousand tonnes of tukdi rice and the remaining part of sela rice. It was natural for suspicion to increase due to this.