The Hindu : India can emerge as a major player in organic products

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 29, 2002

Business

Business

India can emerge as a major player in organic products

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 28. The Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, today declared India could emerge as a major player in organic production and exports in the world market. He said the country has immense potential in this sector and the Government has put in place an accreditation system as per the national standards for organic products that will enjoy reciprocal approval from other international organic programmes.

Inaugurating an international conference on Indian organic products, he said the global trade in such products was growing phenomenally. The consumption of organic food was expected to touch 15 per cent of the total world food consumption by 2005.

The Agriculture Minister, Ajit Singh, who addressed the meeting said a Rs. 92 crore national project on organic farming would be launched under the Tenth Plan. This would include setting up of a body to formulate national standards to boost organic farm exports.

He said the body would formulate national standards of organic farming, appointment of accreditation and certification

agencies for certifying organic produce and training of farmers. Under the project, he said 50 model organic farms would be set up in the country and assistance provided for setting up of commercial production units of organic inputs such as bio-fertilizers, food and vegetables, waste compost and hatcheries of vermiculture.

Estimating that the value of organic trade was expected to reach $100 billion by 2006, he said trade was being impeded by the absence of harmonised regulations among potential trading partners.

The five day conference is being organised by the Commerce Ministry in association with the Bio-Dynamic Association of India. Apart from Mr. Ajit Singh, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, and Ministers of Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Assam were present at the inaugural function.

Mr. Rudy referred to the report of the International Trade Centre that said the retail market for organic food and beverages increased from $10 billion in 1997 to $17.5 billion in 2000. He felt this augured well for India as this country has traditional advantages coupled with large agriculture base to promote organic agriculture.

The Minister said under APEDA's initiative, a pineapple processing unit was started in Tripura earlier this year. The National Programme of Organic Products (NPOP) was released in May 2000 and an India Organic Logo was released in July this year that will be carried only on certified Indian organic products.

To showcase Indian organic products to international buyers, an Organic Expo is also being organised on December 1 and 2. The conference itself will discuss issues like India's core competence in organic sector, diverse marketing opportunities, alternative trade and international cooperation for organic agriculture in India. Various commodities boards like the Tea Board, the Coffee Board and the Rubber Board are participating in the conference as well as the expo.

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