ERODE: Agriculture Business Division of the Department of Agriculture, vested with the power to grant Agmark licence, plans to grade more than two lakh quintals of products this financial year.
According to Deputy Director of Agriculture (Agriculture Business) K. Jagadeesan the division, through its seven laboratories in the district, will grade two lakh tonnes of various products in order to achieve a target of Rs. 17.71 lakh. Grading of products to get Agmark seal is purely voluntary.Decision
This means that industries producing various food products can either get the quality certification or take a decision to remain out of it.
By remaining out of it they do not attract any penalty.
Mr. Jagadeesan says the division tests mostly 17 products. Thes include includes oil, ghee and curry (masala) powder. These are the three main items that are manufactured in large numbers in the district.
He further says that only those producers who have a market in Kerala wish to have the Agmark brand, as consumers there are insistent of having the quality certification. As for oil, the interesting thing is that the oil mills can either get the certification from the Deparment’s laboratories or can have self-certification.
Consumer Protection Council’s Secretary R. Balasubramanian says the Government must strengthen Agmark by making it mandatory for at least a certain number of products.
He also makes a call for removing the self-certification method.
He further says that the agriculture business division should also be given the powers to let the officials collect samples from industries, something which they do not have। -Hindu
According to Deputy Director of Agriculture (Agriculture Business) K. Jagadeesan the division, through its seven laboratories in the district, will grade two lakh tonnes of various products in order to achieve a target of Rs. 17.71 lakh. Grading of products to get Agmark seal is purely voluntary.Decision
This means that industries producing various food products can either get the quality certification or take a decision to remain out of it.
By remaining out of it they do not attract any penalty.
Mr. Jagadeesan says the division tests mostly 17 products. Thes include includes oil, ghee and curry (masala) powder. These are the three main items that are manufactured in large numbers in the district.
He further says that only those producers who have a market in Kerala wish to have the Agmark brand, as consumers there are insistent of having the quality certification. As for oil, the interesting thing is that the oil mills can either get the certification from the Deparment’s laboratories or can have self-certification.
Consumer Protection Council’s Secretary R. Balasubramanian says the Government must strengthen Agmark by making it mandatory for at least a certain number of products.
He also makes a call for removing the self-certification method.
He further says that the agriculture business division should also be given the powers to let the officials collect samples from industries, something which they do not have। -Hindu
No comments:
Post a Comment