1. The Socio-Economic programmes in India, over the years have been emphasising to reduce the irregularities in Income levels and raise the living standards of people. Between 1975 and 1985 the per capita income at current prices went up by 2 1/2 times. This has generated incremental demand for wage goods and consumer goods quantitatively. Equally important has been the impact of increasing literacy rate in lending further credence to the qualitative up gradation of this demand. Every third person is taken as a literate to be able to show awareness of the meaning of written words for improving his quality of life. Consumer reactions arising out of the impulses and instincts are counter productive to any quality control system.
2. The growing nature’s bounty in India offers innumerable Agricultural products to Indian people. Rice, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetable, green vegetable and spices and condiments like pepper, fenu greek, cardamom and chillies are some of the products. In addition to these, live stock products like milk, butter, ghee, eggs, meat etc., form major part of the human foods. When these products reach the ultimate consumer, how many of us try to find out the quality standards of these products which we are going to consume? Unless it is visible from outside or it smells differently, we blindly purchase the goods as pure ones. Particularly vegetable oils, ghee, butter, honey, ground spices are being succeptible for adulteration. This adulteration is the result of the admixture of foreign matter with profit motive of the unscrupulous merchants and lack of proper cleaning of the food products. Our late Prime Minister Sm. Indira Gandhi had told “Every consumer has the right to expect purity in the products he/she buys”. Well said. The general awareness we observe now, among the consumers, is actually an impetus to a movement to arrest the unlawful activities of some merchants, which are deep rooted in Indian system since long time.
3. It is very difficult to find out the adulterated foods by ordinary means. It is not always possible to judge the quality of the products we daily buy and consume by the sensual organs alone. Adulterated food articles serious health hazards. For instance loss of eyesight, heart diseases, stomach disorder, cancer occur due to the consumption of adulterated foods.
4. In view of the fact that it is not feasible for consumers to have full information about the quality parameters of edible products, the Government of India has introduced a method of certification to ensure quality and purity of edible products. In short, the Government does for you through AGMARK what as an individual consumer could not determine the quality and purity of the goods with success.
5. The word ‘AGMARK’ is a derivative of “Agricultural Marketing”. It is a certification mark of Government of India to ensure the purity and quality of Agricultural and allied products in India. The logo includes the map of India with the word “AGMARK” inscribed vertically and horizontally and a rising Sun on one side and the words “Produce of India” on the other side at its bottom. The mandatory label contains, besides the AGMARK LOGO, the details of the commodity/product, date of packing, grade designation etc., which is affixed to the packages in different ways as specified in the Rules.
6. Promotion of grading and standardization of Agricultural and allied commodities was one of the prime activities assigned to the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection at the time of its establishment in the year 1935. It is in the pursuance of this activity that the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act 1937 was enacted as a bare legislation to provide powers to the Central Government to formulate standards and carry out grading and quality control programmes for agricultural and allied commodities. The Act empowers the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection to:………….
• Fix grade designation indicating the quality of the produce
• Define the quality indicated by each grade designation
• Specify the grade designation mark to represent particular grade designation
• Specify the manner in which the article could be packed, sealed and marked, And
• Authorise a person or a body of persons to use the grade designation marks under prescribed condition.
7. So far this Directorate of Marketing and Inspection has formulated grade standards for 160 agricultural, horticultural, livestock, milk and forest products. Among these products, the Central Government has authorised this Directorate of Marketing and Inspection to enforce compulsory grading under AGMARK before they are exported from India. Lots of care is taken to prescribe AGMARK specifications. The quality of a product is assessed and determined with reference to various factors like area of production, variety, size, shape, weight, colour, moisture, fat contents and other relevant factors between different areas depending upon the products and their use. For instance, desi ghee and butter may vary in fragrance, taste and certain chemical characteristics due to variations in the inherent qualities in Cows and Buffaloes of different areas. So the grade standards are prepared separately for different areas. The grade standards are prepared after thorough laboratory analysis and discussions with Government departments, producers, traders etc., These are notified in the Gazette of India. For instance the grade standards of Ghee are notified as “Ghee Grading and Marking Rules”. The grade standards notified for different products are known as AGMARK GRADE STANDARDS. They denote the quality parameters to enable quality certification under different grades. For example, Ghee is available in three different grades, (i) Special, (ii) General & (iii) Standards grades, which is indicated in the Agmark label/replica affixed to the container.
8. AGMARK grades are statutory grades expressed through Agmark Label/Replica. These are framed under the provisions of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act 1937 as amended in 1986 and the General Grading and Marking Rules 1988.
9. According to the law it is not compulsory for every trader and manufacturer, to get his produce certified under AGMARK symbol. Presently it is only a voluntary scheme of the Government. All those who are interested in following the procedures and in getting their products certified under Agmark are given for a prescribed fee authorised in this way, submit application for grading under AGMARK when his products, eg., Ghee or edible Oils, are ready for packing. On receipt of the application, the Agricultural Officer (chemistry) draws two samples from the tank to be graded under AGMARK. The tank is sealed after the drawal of the samples. One of the samples is in the laboratory and the other is kept in the laboratory. The grade is determined in the laboratory and the particular Agmark grade labels are issued. In the presence of the Agricultural Officer (chemistry,) after removing the seal of the tank, the content is refilled in consumer packs with Agmark Replica or in small containers and the Agmark labels are affixed in a manner that the packages/bottles/tins can not be opened without tampering the Agmark Replica/labels.
10. And, for the convenience of the packers this Directorate has introduced ‘REPLICA’. Under this syste, Agmark symbol is printed either on the cap of the container or on the pouch. The serial number should invariably be printed by the side of this ‘REPLICA’. The authority to allot these serial numbers lies with the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection only.
11. When these Agmarked products are marketed, as a measure of another check, the authorised Officers from D M I purchase these products from the market and send them to the Agmark Regional Laboratories under a code. An important aspect is that under the system of Grading under Agmark, each and every lot is subjected to testing. As, so much attention is given for maintaining quality in different ways, it can be said with certainty that Agmarked products are pure and free from adulterants with specified quality.
12. In Tamilnadu, there are about 2000 authorised packers grading their products under Agmark. At present Agmark Gingelly Oil, Coconut Oil, Ground nut oil, Honey, Butter, Ghee, Wheat, Besan, Ground spices and Curry Powder are becoming popular among the consumers in Tamilnadu. If more and more consumers generate demand for convinced of the prospects of increasing their trade, the market places could be flooded with Agmark Products.
13. As the menace of adulteration in food products is rampant and the tendency of supplying spurious goods is unrelenting, both the pure and impure goods look alike in many cases the methods of combating these evils are inadequate. The consumer, therefore, needs help and support in terms of availability of products of assured quality.
14. The Socio economic legislations of the government over the years such as Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, the Standards Weights and Measures Act, etc., were meant to introduce a series of measures to bring about improvements in the grade practices, preparation of the produce for the market, checking adulteration in edible products etc., However, the recent enactment of the Consumer Protection Act 1986, is a milestone in the Socio Economic Legislation in the Country. The Consumer Protection Laws are already in existence in the United Kingdom, the United State of America, Australia and New Zealand. The Act intends to provide simple, speedy and inexpensive redressal to the Consumers’ grievances.
15. The ultimate satisfaction of the consumer being the touchstone of a business, the APGM Act 1937 has been amended in 1986 and the General Grading and Marking Rules 1937 have been replaced and new rules have been notified in 1988 to insert duly protective measures for the consumers. The salient features of these amendments are:-
• Section 4 of the Act discourages unauthorised packages with Agmark designation mark. Persons indulging in such practices are punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months and fine not exceeding Rs.5000/-
• Section 5 of the Act provides for a term not exceeding three years and fine not exceeding Rs.5000/- if any person is found to counterfeit any grade designation mark or to have in his possession any dye, plate or other instruments for the purpose of counterfeiting a grade designation mark.
• If any person sells any Scheduled article which is misgraded, it attracts the provisions of Section 5(A) of the Act and is liable for punishment with imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months and fine not exceeding Rs.5,000/-
• Section 5 (B) of the Act confers powers on the Government to exercise its intention by way of declaration by notification in the Official Gazette to the effect that it may be necessary in the public interest or for the protection of the consumers that any scheduled article or class or articles shall be brought under conpulsory grading under Agmark in respect of specific area or areas. After the issue of such notification, if any person contravenes the provisions he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months and fine not exceeding Rs.5000/-
• The rules provide for the redressal of the Grievances and the complaints of the consumers of Agmarkedproducts. If the Agmark product purchased is found defective and if the complaint is found genuine on investigation, the purchaser will be entitled free of cost replacement of the product or reimbursement of the cost. For this purpose, the complaint cells are functioning in the offices of the Deputy Agricultural Marketing Adviser located in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkatta, Hyderabad, Kochi and in other major cities in India.
16. Hence, it is important to note that AGMARK symbol is a Government certification mark. The Individual products are sold under different trade brand names and may be popular under such names. But if you want to be assured of the purity of the product, you select to buy, you look for AGMARK symbol on the product you purchase.
So now i`m thinking about everything I want to accomplish in 2013 and what I need to do to he said reach my goals.
