How To Get Organic Certificate For Export

Certification for Organic Farming

The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), which is part of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, oversees organic agricultural certification in India. The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) establishes organic production standards, as well as systems, criteria, and procedures for certification bodies, as well as the National (India Organic) Logo and the rules that govern its use. The procedures and criteria were developed in accordance with other international regulations governing the import and export of organic products. Farms who have earned Organic Farming Certification and meet the National Program for Organic Production’s guidelines will be permitted to use the India Organic logo on their produce. 

Obtaining Organic Farming Certification: A Step-by-Step Guide

Anyone seeking organic farming certification for agricultural produce must submit an application in the proper format, together with the required fee and field verification. Before submitting an application, the applicant or farmer must ensure that his or her farm complies with the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) standard for organic crop production.

Requirements for Organic Farming

Any farm that wants to be certified as an Organic Farm must meet the following requirements laid forth by the National Program for Organic Production (NPOP).

In addition to the aforementioned requirements, the applicant must meet the following:
Every year, create, implement, and update an organic production strategy.

Permit on-site inspections by Organic Certification Inspectors and other higher officials with total access to the production and handling operation, including non-certified production and handling operation, locations, structures, and offices, as needed.

Allow authorised representatives of the certification body, State or Central Government authorities of the accrediting agency access to all records pertinent to the organic operation for examination and copying during normal working hours to evaluate compliance with NPOP criteria.

Within the timeframe specified, pay the prescribed fees for organic agricultural accreditation.

Notify the authorities if any prohibited substances are applied, including drift, to any production unit, site, facility, livestock, or product that is part of an operation, as well as changes in certified operations or any portion of a certified operation that may affect the organic integrity in compliance with NPOP standards.

Submitting an application for organic farm certification

The applicant can prepare and submit an application whenever all of the prerequisites for organic farming have been met. The following information must be included in the certification application:

A plan for organic production or processing.

• All fields in the application must be filled out completely, including name, address, contact information, authorised person’s phone number, and so on.
• The names of the organic certifying bodies to whom applications have previously been submitted, as well as the outcome, non-compliance noted if applicable, a copy of such records, and the reason for applying, must be provided.
• Any further information required to determine compliance with the given standards.
• The operator must pay the prescribed registration fee, one-time inspection fee, and one-time travel cost along with the application form.

Application Evaluation

The accreditation authority will decide whether or not to accept or reject the application after it has been submitted and reviewed. All applications that were refused would be returned to the applicant with reasons for rejection.

Inspection Scheduling

Before accreditation is granted, an initial field inspection will be scheduled at a convenient time so that the operator can demonstrate his or her ability to comply with the criteria while inspecting land, facilities, and activities. The preliminary inspection can be postponed for up to six months from the date of registration to provide the operator time to meet all of the requirements, including record keeping. All onsite inspections must be done in the presence of the operator or an authorised representative who has been trained in the operation. Unannounced inspections, on the other hand, are exempt from this requirement. One annual inspection is recommended, with further inspections dependent on the risk assessment conducted during the initial inspection.

Verification Throughout the Inspection

The concerned authorities would verify compliance with the NPOP standards during a field inspection. The authorities would ensure that illegal substances/materials are not used, and if in question, samples of soil, water, wastes, seeds, plant tissues, plant, animal, and processed goods would be taken. The samples should be analysed in ISO 17025 laboratories that are NABL accredited. The operator would be responsible for the expense of sending samples for analysis.

During the inspection, the concerned authorities may conduct an interview with the person in charge of the organic production system to confirm the accuracy of the information gathered and the thoroughness of the observations made during the onsite inspection. Other required information can also be gathered by the inspector. Following the inspection, the responsible authority would create a checklist, an inspection report, and collect the operator’s or his representative’s signature.

The involved operator and evaluator should receive a copy of the checklist and inspection report. Inspection reports must be evaluated by the evaluator in a fair amount of time, and any additional information needed should be addressed to the operator. In the event of any non-compliance with the general standards, the operator should be contacted for an explanation, and sanctions might be imposed according to the regulations.

Organic Farm Certification is a programme that certifies organic farms.

The accreditation agency would issue the Certificate of Registration, Transaction Certificate, and Product Certificate to the eligible operators based on their compliance with the National Program for Organic Production (NPOP). The certification committee’s decision will determine whether or not this certificate is issued.

If the operation does not meet the standards, the operator will be notified and given the reasons for the refusal of certification. The operator can remedy the noncompliance and submit the report to the accreditation organisation after receiving such reports. In the event of a denial, the operator may appeal to the Appeal Committee.

For more Information

Accreditation/Surveillance/Renewal/Scope Extension of Certification Bodies can be applied for here.

Export Experts Global contributed to this article. 

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