In this drive the Officials from JKTPO, representative from Invest India& Aditi Group, District Horticulture Officer Kupwara, Area Marketing Officer Horticulture Planning & Marketing Department Kupwara, apart from them more than 120+ farmers/FPOs participated in the said programme.
The District Horticulture officer Kupwara welcomed all the participants in his welcome address and thanked JKTPO, Invest India for organizing such drives.
Mr. Harpreet senior representative from Invest India team and Mr. Sushant Sharma from Aditi Group explained the benefits and the documentation required thereof for Organic Certification through a Power Point Presentation.
The farmers will get the organic certification of walnuts as the proof for the organic produce, through Invest India, Government of India which will fetch remunerative prices for the produce of walnut farmers and boost the economy of the district, Kupwara in a significant way. It is important to add that organic products and organic farming have of late found lot of resource both nationally and globally and organic certification of Kupwara walnut will enhance its value and the acceptability in the market.
National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) under Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Government of India involves accreditation of Certification Bodies, standards for organic production, promotion of organic farming and marketing etc. The NPOP standards for production and accreditation system have been recognized by European Commission and Switzerland for unprocessed plant products as equivalent to their country standards. With these recognitions, Indian organic products duly certified by the accredited certification bodies of India are accepted by the importing countries.
JKTPO in association with Invest India had already completed the Organic certification drive for three districts of UT J&K viz saffron for Pulwama, Saffron for Kistwar and Honey for Ramban and the certificates are ready for distribution in these districts.
JKTPO will carry out these drives for other districts also in future so that the farmers shall get benefitted.
