It provides organic certification under the Large Area Certification (LAC) Scheme of the PGS-India (Participatory Guarantee System) certification programme.
PGS is a process of certifying organic products. It ensures that their production takes place in accordance with laid-down quality standards for organics.
Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under its flagship scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) has launched this unique quick certification programme to harness these potential areas for organic farming.
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana(PKVY) was launched in 2015 with the aim to support and promote organic farming. This in turn results in the improvement of soil health.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide a unique and quick organic certification to harness the potential land areas for organic products.
All farmers with their farmland and livestock need to adhere to the standard requirements and on being verified get certified en-mass without the need to go under conversion period.
Certification is renewed on annual basis through annual verification by a process of peer appraisals as per the process of PGS-India.
Process for Large Area Certification:
Firstly, under the LAC, each village in the area is considered as one cluster/group. Documentations are simple and maintained village-wise.
Secondly, all farmers with their farmland and livestock need to adhere to the standard requirements. After verification, they will get certified as a group. Once issued they don’t need to go under conversion period.
Thirdly, certification is renewed on annual basis through annual verification. Annual verification is a process of peer appraisals as per the process of PGS-India.
Benefits of Large Area Certification:
As per the established norm of organic production systems, the areas having chemical input usage history are required to undergo a transition period of minimum 2-3 years to qualify as organic.
During this period, farmers need to adopt standard organic agriculture practices and keep their farms under the certification process.
On successful completion, such farms can be certified as organic after 2-3 years.
The certification process also requires elaborate documentation and time to time verification by the certification authorities.
Whereas under LAC requirements are simple and the area can be certified almost immediately.
Area in Andaman and Nicobar has been certified as organic, the first large contiguous territory to be done under LAC Scheme.
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY)
It is an elaborated component of Soil Health Management (SHM) of major project National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
Under PKVY, Organic farming is promoted through adoption of organic village by cluster approach and PGS certification.
Fifty or more farmers will form a cluster having 50 acre land to take up the organic farming under the scheme.
The produce will be pesticide residue free and will contribute to improving the health of the consumer.
