Srinagar: A two days awareness program regarding NPOP and ISO- 17065 requirements was organized by The Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) for the Officers and Officials of Agriculture and allied sectors at Agriculture Complex Lalmandi.
During the concluding ceremony Director Agriculture Kashmir Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal highlighted the importance of organizing such awareness programs and said these programs are organized in order provide the employees of the Union Territory of JK, real time guidance regarding Organic Certification process.
Director Agriculture said this program is being conducted with a vision to create awareness among the officials designated to work as organic certification body about the National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) procedures and ISO- 17065 compliance requirements and also enable the certification seeking bodies to prepare well in advance before applying for accreditation under NPOP.
Chowdhary appreciated the efforts made by APEDA for organizing this program where in deliberations and presentations about the process and products that can be certified organic and discussed minutely the pre requisites and various paradigms associated with it.
Deputy General Manager APEDA Devendra Prasad enunciated about organic agriculture scenario and NPOP requirements to certification bodies He also explained all the procedures, policies, formats and strategies to be maintained by certification seeking bodies.
The program was attended by All Joint Directors of Agriculture department and the officials nominated by Directorate of Agriculture, Horticulture, SKUAST, Animal and Sheep Husbandry while as their counter parts from Jammu attended the awareness program through virtual mode.

KR Desk