Because many farmers were having difficulty selling their organic goods, the government of Andhra Pradesh decided to establish an organic product certification wing.
Because of the high cost of obtaining certification from private labs, the establishment of an Organic Product Certification laboratory and agency has become critical.
The establishment of the Andhra Pradesh State Organic Products Certification Authority Wing in the state is another step toward promoting organic cultivation and providing a stable market for organic farmers to sell their products. Due to the lack of organic certification agencies in the state, the communities of farmers cultivating organic crops faced numerous challenges in terms of traders, customers, and processing. Because obtaining certification and seed tests from private organisations is expensive, the government’s establishment of such agencies became critical.
Organic product certification is required because it conveys the product’s authenticity. It also allows customers to determine whether or not the product they are purchasing is organic. Certification is also important in cases where some companies claim their products are organic but cannot provide any certifications to back up their claims.
MVS Nagi Reddy, Vice-Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Agriculture Mission, stated in an interview that as people spend more money to buy genuine organic products and ensure that they get genuine and organic products, certification becomes more important in this regard.
Because of the aforementioned incidents, the director of the Andhra Pradesh Seed Certification Authority (APSSCA) wrote a letter to the government urging it to consider the proposal for the establishment of the AP State Organic Products Certification Authority (APSOPCA). Under the direction of the APSSCA chairperson, and with a separate wing registered. He also requested Rs. 1.55 crore in financial support (grant-in-aid) for APSSCA to launch the certification wing for a year.
He also demanded that the funding be extended until the APSOPCA could support itself. The state government approved Rs. 1.55 crore for the establishment of APSOPCA last week.