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Substandard goods flourish
Efforts to create awareness among people to purchase quality packaged commodities like pulses, cereals and fruits with AGMARK certification have come to naught following the Central government’s decision to discontinue funding for such campaigns.
Centre’s decision to stop funding awareness campaigns, coupled with the dealers’ lethargy, leads to consumers buying agricultural products that lack quality tests
Hyderabad: Efforts to create awareness among people to purchase quality packaged commodities like pulses, cereals and fruits with AGMARK certification have come to naught following the Central government’s decision to discontinue funding for such campaigns.
The AGMARK certification was introduced to ensure quality of every packaged gricultural commodities like pulses, cereals, fruits etc., against the backdrop of many such products without quality tests being put for sale in supermarkets and retail stores in Telangana and elsewhere.
It was to empower the consumer to purchase quality products that the Centre had earlier released funds with an aim to popularise the AGMARK.
As part of this, advertisements and campaigns had been taken up through media and other means, said official sources.
However, recently, the Centre concluded that the AGMARK had already become popular among people and there was no need to take up campaigns any more to create awareness about it, and stopped funding.
Contrary to this, Lalith, a 35-year- old homemaker, said she, like many others, did not notice the AGMARK certified products in retail shops and shopping malls. She said she did not know much about the AGMARK certification, adding that the benefits of AGMARK products should be popularised.
Speaking to The Hans India, a food products distributor from the city said there was no demand from the people insisting on the AGMARK certification. This makes many of the business owners not to bother about opting for AGMARK.
He said as the way jewellers were pitching for BSI hallmark certification to attract consumers, the retail and shopping mall owners should also popularise the AGMARK products.
“However, as AGMARK is not mandatory, some manufacturers are not showing interest. Even those who obtained the AGMARK certification fail to renew it,” the sources pointed out. Reflecting this, P Melvin Roy, Deputy Agricultural Marketing Adviser,
Directorate of Marketing and Inspection said in the last three years, only 40 new companies had applied and were granted Certificate of Authorisation by AGMARK from Telangana as against hundreds of similar companies existing in the State. Most of the certifications have been issued for packaged flour, blended oils, ghee, chilli, turmeric and masala powders and the like. Grading of products also help farmers to get prices for their agricultural commodities.
However, suppliers of agricultural commodities to entities like Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), Civil Supplies Department and other government agencies opt for the AGMARK, as it is a prerequisite for participating in the tender process for the supply of quality agriculture products.
By V Naveen Kumar
