Latest news with #NationalProgrammeforOrganicProduction
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Cong's cotton certification allegations misleading: Govt
NEW DELHI: Centre on Sunday refuted Congress's allegations regarding irregularities in organic cotton certification, calling the remarks unfounded and misleading. The commerce ministry said the aspersions cast against National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) were baseless and unwarranted. "Generalised allegations against a robust regulatory system of the country for a particular crop/region/group of operators only serve to undermine the credibility of legitimate regulatory institutions and the broader organic movement in India," the ministry said in a statement. Congress on Saturday demanded a court-monitored CBI probe into an alleged scam in the sale of normal cotton as organic cotton in MP. Former MP CM Digvijaya Singh alleged India's image is being hurt globally as the country has lost credibility in certification of organic products.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Centre refutes Congress's allegations on organic cotton in Madhya Pradesh
The Centre on Sunday refuted the Congress's allegations regarding irregularities in organic cotton certification, calling the remarks unfounded and misleading. The commerce ministry said the aspersions cast against the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) were baseless and unwarranted. "Generalised allegations against a robust regulatory system of the country for a particular crop/region/group of operators only serve to undermine the credibility of legitimate regulatory institutions and the broader organic movement in India," the ministry said in a statement. The Congress on Saturday demanded a court-monitored CBI probe into an alleged scam in the sale of normal cotton as organic cotton in Madhya Pradesh. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged that India's image is being hurt globally as the country has lost credibility in the certification of organic products. "It may be mentioned that in a press briefing by an opposition leader yesterday (Saturday), unfounded, unsubstantiated and misleading aspersions are being cast against the Organic Certification programme, the NPOP," it said. The ministry's arm Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), it said, is committed to ensuring that the organic certification system under the NPOP is credible, transparent, and clear. "Wherever credible evidence of non compliances/wilful violation of organic standards have been brought to light, APEDA had undertaken extensive investigation and taken concrete measures. All such matters are subjected to structured investigation following principles of natural justice. Any certification body or operator found violating norms is penalised as per NPOP regulation," the ministry said. The NPOP was launched in 2001 by the ministry to promote exports of organic products and APEDA acts as its secretariat for the implementation. The system of grower group certification was launched in 2005, as it was felt necessary to cater to small and marginal farmers. Third party certification is a mandatory requirement for export of organic products. The NPOP standards for crop production have been recognised by the European Commission and Switzerland as equivalent to their country's standards and are also accepted by Great Britain. There is an MRA for organic products with Taiwan. At present, there are 37 active certification bodies operating in India, which include 14 state certification bodies. "Herein, it is clarified that APEDA or the Department of Commerce does not extend any subsidy to farmers taking up organic cultivation under the NPOP. The figure of Rs 50,000 per hectare and the further wrongly imputed calculations have no basis," it said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Centre refutes Congress's allegations on organic cotton in MP
The Centre on Sunday refuted the Congress 's allegations regarding irregularities in organic cotton certification, calling the remarks unfounded and misleading. The commerce ministry said the aspersions cast against the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) were baseless and unwarranted. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MCA Project Management Design Thinking Product Management Data Analytics others Public Policy PGDM Leadership Technology Degree Operations Management Others healthcare Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence CXO Data Science Finance Healthcare Management MBA Digital Marketing Data Science Skills you'll gain: Programming Proficiency Data Handling & Analysis Cybersecurity Awareness & Skills Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Master of Computer Applications Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details "Generalised allegations against a robust regulatory system of the country for a particular crop/region/group of operators only serve to undermine the credibility of legitimate regulatory institutions and the broader organic movement in India," the ministry said in a statement. The Congress on Saturday demanded a court-monitored CBI probe into an alleged scam in the sale of normal cotton as organic cotton in Madhya Pradesh. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged that India's image is being hurt globally as the country has lost credibility in the certification of organic products. Live Events "It may be mentioned that in a press briefing by an opposition leader yesterday (Saturday), unfounded, unsubstantiated and misleading aspersions are being cast against the Organic Certification programme, the NPOP," it said. The ministry's arm Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), it said, is committed to ensuring that the organic certification system under the NPOP is credible, transparent, and clear. "Wherever credible evidence of non compliances/wilful violation of organic standards have been brought to light, APEDA had undertaken extensive investigation and taken concrete measures. All such matters are subjected to structured investigation following principles of natural justice. Any certification body or operator found violating norms is penalised as per NPOP regulation," the ministry said. The NPOP was launched in 2001 by the ministry to promote exports of organic products and APEDA acts as its secretariat for the implementation. The system of grower group certification was launched in 2005, as it was felt necessary to cater to small and marginal farmers. Third party certification is a mandatory requirement for export of organic products. The NPOP standards for crop production have been recognised by the European Commission and Switzerland as equivalent to their country's standards and are also accepted by Great Britain. There is an MRA for organic products with Taiwan. At present, there are 37 active certification bodies operating in India, which include 14 state certification bodies. "Herein, it is clarified that APEDA or the Department of Commerce does not extend any subsidy to farmers taking up organic cultivation under the NPOP. The figure of Rs 50,000 per hectare and the further wrongly imputed calculations have no basis," it said.
News18
a day ago
- Business
- News18
Centre refutes Congresss allegations on organic cotton in MP
Agency: New Delhi, July 27 (PTI) The Centre on Sunday refuted the Congress's allegations regarding irregularities in organic cotton certification, calling the remarks unfounded and misleading. The commerce ministry said the aspersions cast against the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) were baseless and unwarranted. 'Generalised allegations against a robust regulatory system of the country for a particular crop/region/group of operators only serve to undermine the credibility of legitimate regulatory institutions and the broader organic movement in India," the ministry said in a statement. The Congress on Saturday demanded a court-monitored CBI probe into an alleged scam in the sale of normal cotton as organic cotton in Madhya Pradesh. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged that India's image is being hurt globally as the country has lost credibility in the certification of organic products. 'It may be mentioned that in a press briefing by an opposition leader yesterday (Saturday), unfounded, unsubstantiated and misleading aspersions are being cast against the Organic Certification programme, the NPOP," it said. The ministry's arm Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), it said, is committed to ensuring that the organic certification system under the NPOP is credible, transparent, and clear. 'Wherever credible evidence of non compliances/wilful violation of organic standards have been brought to light, APEDA had undertaken extensive investigation and taken concrete measures. All such matters are subjected to structured investigation following principles of natural justice. Any certification body or operator found violating norms is penalised as per NPOP regulation," the ministry said. The NPOP was launched in 2001 by the ministry to promote exports of organic products and APEDA acts as its secretariat for the implementation. The system of grower group certification was launched in 2005, as it was felt necessary to cater to small and marginal farmers. Third party certification is a mandatory requirement for export of organic products. The NPOP standards for crop production have been recognised by the European Commission and Switzerland as equivalent to their country's standards and are also accepted by Great Britain. There is an MRA for organic products with Taiwan. At present, there are 37 active certification bodies operating in India, which include 14 state certification bodies. 'Herein, it is clarified that APEDA or the Department of Commerce does not extend any subsidy to farmers taking up organic cultivation under the NPOP. The figure of Rs 50,000 per hectare and the further wrongly imputed calculations have no basis," it said. PTI RR TRB view comments First Published: July 27, 2025, 17:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hans India
a day ago
- Business
- Hans India
'Misleading': APEDA rejects allegations on organic cotton certification
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has strongly rejected the allegations made by an opposition leader regarding irregularities in organic cotton certification under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), a Ministry of Commerce and Industry statement said on Sunday. In the statement, the APEDA clarified that the claims made during a recent press briefing were "unfounded, unsubstantiated and misleading", and only serve to weaken the credibility of India's robust regulatory system. The NPOP, launched in 2001 by the Department of Commerce, is India's official organic certification programme for exports. It is implemented by the APEDA and follows a strict third-party certification process. The system has been recognised as equivalent to the standards of the European Union, Switzerland, and accepted by the UK, with a mutual recognition arrangement in place with Taiwan as well. Addressing the allegations that organic cotton production is concentrated only in Madhya Pradesh and involves a limited number of farmer groups, the APEDA said this is entirely incorrect. As of July 19, the NPOP covers 4,712 active organic grower groups across 31 states and Union Territories -- representing nearly 19.3 lakh certified farmers producing a variety of crops including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, tea, coffee, spices, and cotton. The APEDA also clarified that cotton is covered under NPOP only till the production stage. Post-production processes like ginning and processing are handled under separate private certifications, not under NPOP. The claims that farmers receive Rs 50,000 per hectare as a subsidy under NPOP were also dismissed by the APEDA, stating that neither the Department of Commerce nor the APEDA provides any such financial support under the programme. To ensure credibility, the NPOP has a multi-layered system of checks. Certification Bodies, both government and private, carry out annual audits and inspections of farms. These are further monitored by the National Accreditation Body (NAB) through unannounced audits coordinated by the APEDA. Any case of non-compliance or malpractice is thoroughly investigated, and strict action is taken against defaulting certification bodies or grower groups.
