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AGMARK

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Prasanna Pappu
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165 views2 pages

AGMARK

Uploaded by

Prasanna Pappu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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AGMARK

The word Agmark is derived from Agricultural Marketing.

The Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI) under the Department of


Agriculture and Co-operation in the Ministry of Agriculture enforces the
Agricultural Products (Grading and Marketing) Act 1937. Under this Act Grade
standards are prescribed for agricultural and allied commodities.

Agmark grading means grading of an article in accordance with grade/standards


prescribed under the provisions of the act. These are known as AGMARK
standards. Grading under the provision of this Act is voluntary.

Any person or body of persons desirous of being authorized to grade and mark
an article under the provisions of the act shall apply to the agricultural
marketing advisor or any other officer of the Central Government or State
Government authorized by Agricultural Marketing Advisor.

Manufacturers who comply with standard laid down by DMI are allowed to use
"AGMARK" labels on their products

The grade designation marks shall be applied only to the articles mentioned in
the certificate of authorization during the validity period.

The certificate of authorization is issued by agricultural marketing advisor or


any other officer of the central or state government authorized by the
Agricultural Marketing Advisor.

The grade designation characteristics vary from product to product.

The quality of the product is determined with reference to the size, variety,
weight, colour, moisture, fat content and other factors are taken in to account. It
covers quality assurances of unprocessed, semi processed and processed
agricultural commodities.

Blended edible vegetable oils and fat spread are compulsorily required to be
certified under Agmark.
The inspecting officer shall analyse the sample for quality factors as laid down
in grading and marketing rules of the specific commodity in respect of produce.
The inspecting officer shall also ensure that all the food article graded and
certified under Agmark shall satisfy the mandatory requirements laid down
under PFA rules.

The rules for affixation of AGMARK labels, method of packing and marking,
check sampling and certificate of grading rules are also given under this act.

Salient features of Agmark standard:

(1) Quality standards for Agricultural commodities are framed based on their
intrinsic quality.

(2) Food safety factors are being incorporated in the standards to compete in
world trade.

(3) Standards are being harmonized with international standards keeping in


view the WTO requirements.

(4) Check is kept on the quality of certified products through 23 laboratories


and 43 offices spread all over the country

The grades incorporated are grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 or special, good, fair and
ordinary.

Agmark products are subjected to continuous inspection. The certificate of


“Authorization” is granted only to those in the trade having adequate experience
and standing in the market. The staff of the DMI or of the state Government is
generally present at the time of selection of goods, their processing, grading and
packing before applying the appropriate AGMARK labels.

Products available under AGMARK are pulses, wheat products, vegetable


oils, ground spices, whole spices, milk products, honey, compounded asafetida,
rice, tapioca sago, seedless tamarind and gram flour; grading of these
commodities is voluntary.

On the other hand grading of commodities like tobacco, walnut, spices, basmati
rice, essential oils, onion, potatoes are meant for export is compulsory under
AGMARK.

The Directorate of marketing and inspection of central government has 21


laboratories and 50 sub offices spread all over the country. The central
AGMARK laboratory at Nagpur continuously carries out research and
development works in this field.

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