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Apeda’s TraceNet to keep track of origins of organic foods
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Thursday, 10 December, 2009, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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The Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (Apeda) is preparing to roll out TraceNet, a ready-reckoner through the click of mouse to establish the traceability, for organic foods being exported from the country. According to a report in Business Line, following the successful launch of TraceNet last year for grapes and pomegranates, the government-run export organization exclusively for agricultural exports, is now putting the system in place for such a facility to be extended to India’s Rs 537-crore organic food product exports.
Apeda chairman Asit Tripathi told the paper while the national launch was slated for the New Year, the international launch for the benefit of exporters was being proposed in February 2010 at the world’s largest trade fair for organic products at BIOFACH-Germany.
According to Apeda, the traceability system is successful in checking pesticide residue in grape and pomegranate while helping the growers with enhanced returns and value for money to the consumers by guaranteeing the authenticity of the product purchased. However, small growers for organic food and NGOs maintain that the onus is on the government to ensure that legions of such growers should not be left high and dry in the traceability system and that they should not be subject to any extra cost either through certifying bodies or their own groups which might price them out of the competitive overseas markets.
However, government sources said almost 99% of organic farmers in the country were associated with grower groups through internal control system which has the basic infrastructure. According to them, the system seeks details to be fed just once as to the farmer’s personal details and farm data, while an offline version has also been in place to facilitate the day-to-day activities. They also rule out any additional cost for transaction certificates as the existing system would be followed.
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