AGMARK Registration and Certification Procedure
India is predominantly an agricultural country. More than 60% of the population stay in rural India and are engaged in agriculture- either for self consumption or for commercial purpose or for both. The country has seen horrendous droughts and famine during the British era. Post independence, the situation and per capita income had not increased dramatically. But under the leadership of Lal Bahadur Shastri, one of the greatest Prime Ministers India has ever seen, the Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan slogan was coined. This was done in 1965, during the Bharat Pakistan war.
AGMARK, is short for "Agriculture Marketing". It is used in our country to ensure the quality of agricultural products. is a program launched by the Indian government to guarantee the quality of the nation's agricultural and food products. AGMARK certification's main goal is to offer uniform quality assurance for agricultural and food products and to shield customers from inferior or tainted goods.
Why do we need AGMARK certification?
Various agricultural goods, such as cereals, pulses, edible oils, fruits, vegetables, spices, honey, and more, are eligible for AGMARK certification. The certification procedure entails careful product testing and inspection in accordance with predetermined quality standards. When a product satisfies the requirements, it is permitted to bear the AGMARK certification mark, signifying that it complies with the government's criteria for quality.
The AGMARK certification mark aids customers in recognizing goods that adhere to strict quality requirements and are suitable for human consumption. Additionally, it aids in promoting fair trade principles and ensuring that manufacturers follow set standards for quality. Additionally, by assuring foreign consumers of the quality of the items, the AGMARK certification might help in the export of Indian agricultural and food products.
Hence it can be concluded that AGMARK plays a vital role in maintaining the quality and integrity of agricultural and food products in the Indian market.
What is the method and which acts govern the AGMARK certification?
Agmark in India is governed by Agricultural Produce Grading and Marketing Act 1937 and General Grading and Marking Rules, 1988.
In India AGMARK certification is issued by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI), which is a government agency under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India. The DMI is responsible for carrying out the AGMARK certification program and overseeing the standards of quality for different food and agricultural goods in India.
This mark is special as its application or reproduction on any agricultural produce certifies that it meets the quality standards as set by the various departments as constituted under the Agricultural Produce Act, 1937.
AGMARK can be used on items like fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, oils, ghee, spices, honey, butter, and more. Today, AGMARK is being used on 222 different types of agricultural items/ produce.
Under the Act, the organisational structure has 11 regional offices, 26 smaller offices, 11 regional labs, and one big Central Agmark Lab.
AGMARK is the stamp of approval as given by the government agency in India for farm products. This certification was made official by the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act in the year 1937. The headquarters for AGMARK certification authority is in Haryana. The quality standards as specified for availing this certification follows the rules from the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006.
Is it mandatory to obtain AGMARK certification?
This AGMARK certification is not obligatory for all agricultural and food products within India. The requirement for seeking this certification is dependent upon many different aspects based on the nature of the product like- the product’s purpose, the marketplace where it is to be sold etc. Thus, AGMARK certification is generally an optional registration/ mark, subject to the prevailing market conditions and objectives of the manufacturer or producer.
What are the processes and forms for application of AGMARK registration?
Any person/ company seeking registration may either access the website https://dmi.gov.in or visit the nearest office of the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI) in order to get the required application form. There are many forms available on the DMI website and some of them are discussed below.
- For sale in domestic Indian market only - Form A
- For printing press - Form B
- For commercial laboratory for grading and marking of Fruits and Vegetables for Export trade - Form C
- For approval of Commercial /cooperative /state grading laboratories for the grading and marking of centralised commodities - Form D
- For grading & marking of Multi Source Edible Oil (MSEO) - Form E
- For export trade only - Form F
Simple process for making an application for AGMARK registration?
Along with the application form, the necessary documents shall be annexed and enclosed along with the prescribed application fee in accordance with the nature of the commodity for which the application is being filed. The registration fee is to be submitted in the form of demand draft, and it will vary based on several independent variable factors as stated in the forms and its annexures which includes grading charges, processing fees, etc.
What are the documents required to be annexed to the AGMARK Application?
- Self attested copies of the proprietorship declaration/partnership deed/ Memorandum and Articles of Association/Bye Laws of Society etc.
- Blue print or neatly drawn sketch of the premises showing all dimensions duly signed by the authorised person of the firm.
- Copy of the consent letter from the legal owner of the premises, in case the premises is not owned by the applicant and taken on rent/lease.
- List of complete installed machineries with Nos. & capacity
- Copy of Registration/Licence Certificate issued under FSS Act, 2006, in case of food commodities
- KYC documents: address proof & ID proof duly signed.
What remedies does a consumer have against violators of AGMARK?
If a system for providing a mark for quality assurance has been made available, it will also come with its grievance redressal system. Thus, if a consumer still feels that after purchasing an ‘AGMARK’ product that standards have not been met, they have the following options:
- right to return or exchange the product.
- file a complaint with the appropriate consumer court
- File a complaint with AGMARK authority if the mark has been used spuriously
- File a court case in case of gross violations against the manufacturer.
What are the benefits of obtaining AGMARK In India?
- The certification of ‘AGMARK’ is for making sure that any product with this mark meets the established quality standards. It is a guarantee given to consumers and increases the consumers confidence in the quality and safety of the agricultural products they will be consuming.
- This mark is a very characteristic / distinctive mark and is easily identifiable. Application of this mark on a product sends a signal to the end consumer that the particular productthey are purchasing has been evaluated and fulfils strict quality control standards. It protects the purchasers from defective or adulterated/contaminated goods.
- A mark like this encourages the standardisation of agricultural and food products. The direct result of this is consistent quality of similar products in the market making the choice for consumers to be based on other factors than just quality.
- This mark also helps exporters of agricultural products. Other countries have their own standards. Once an Indian company has this mark affiliation, at a very basic level, the importers of these other countries know the standard the products that they are interested in importing. Thus, it helps Indian agricultural produce and food products get access to international markets by establishing a quality standard that can improve export potential of the Indian agricultural produce.
- It promotes fair trade practices by the farmers, processors and producers by seeing to that the items are appropriately labelled and meet the preset quality criteria. This also helps increase market transparency.
- AGMARK registration creates the need and stimulates the market to maintain better and ever increasing standards of production and manufacturing. This contributes to overall improvement in the agriculture sector.
- AGMARK certified products instils confidence and trust among consumers, traders, and other stakeholders since the produce and products are being consistently and continuously being tested and verified through standardised processes
- The mark enables and wants the producers and manufactures to give out information about the produce / product being sold. Thus, more information to the end consumers and this results in better choice making.
- AGMARK helps create a market where products are distinguished based on whether they are accredited with a quality mark or not. This gives an edge to the sellers of products that have the AGMARK certification.
- AGMARK-promotes long term sustainability of products and their market life, thus giving a better lease of life to the businesses manufacturing them..
