National Programme for Organic Production

15.01.2025

National Programme for Organic Production

Why in the news?   

Recently, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry released the eighth edition of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).

About National Programme for Organic Production:

• Launched in 2001, it is a key government programme that laid the foundation of systematic development of the organic agriculture sector in India, through promoting sustainable farming practices and opening new opportunities for farmers and exporters.
• By setting high standards for organic products, NPOP enhances India’s competitiveness in the global organic market, while helping farmers adopt eco-friendly and economically viable practices.
• The programme involves the accreditation of Certification Bodies, standards for organic production, promotion of organic farming and marketing etc.
• Implementing agency: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce & Industries, is implementing this programme.

Highlights of the 8th Edition of NPOP:

• It introduced key amendments aimed at promoting ease of operations and enhancing transparency for stakeholders, including farmers.
• Certification requirements for organic grower groups have been simplified, and these groups are now granted legal status in place of the Internal Control System (ICS).

Many portals launched in this edition:

• NPOP portal:The dedicated portal for the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) will provide more visibility and ease of operations for Organic stakeholders.
• Organic Promotion Portal:Farmers, FPOs and exporters can showcase their certified organic products, generate Trade Leads and connect with global buyers. This will also include online Training and capacity building sessions for operators on Organic production and also information on Organic Trade events.
• TraceNet 2.0: The upgraded online Organic traceability system for seamless operations and enhanced tools for regulatory oversight.
• APEDA portal:Redesigned and revamped APEDA portal with enhanced user experience and information for the benefit of Agri and Processed food products’ stakeholders.
• AgriXchange portal: Redesigned and revamped AgriXchange portal enables more user-friendly data analysis and generation of reports & data of Agricultural exports making it accessible for the general public.

                                                                  Source: Business Standard

Consider the following statements regarding the National Programme for Organic Production:

Statement-I:It laid the foundation for systematic development of the organic agriculture sector in India.

Statement-II:It is implemented by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

A.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

C.Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.

D.Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Answer C