QUALITY ISSUES IN INDIAN AGRI-EXPORTS

The importance of quality parameteres in Agri exports is increasingly becoming important in the world arena Since World Trade Organization emphasized the importance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures nations have increasingly become selective with this regard India is no exception to this Since last year when importers in European Union reported high levels of Aflatoxins,a Fungus and returned a number of consignments Indian Government has started implementing laws to set right the the Groundnut industry With this regard Agricultural and processed food products export development authority (APEDA),A BODY ENTRUSTED BY Union Government for development of Agri and allied products has come out with strict guidelines for exporting Groundnuts to the EU countries APEDA is now ensuring compulsory registration of the entire supply chain including processing and shelling units,godowns as well as storage facilities In addition to this APEDA is stressing to bring the processing units under HACCP (Hazard analysis critical control points) certification,which is a approved international certification As a result there has been a decline in Groundnut exports to the tune of 726.21 crores during Apr2009/January 2010 as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year But according to the analysts there might be some problems initially,but it would benefit exports later Also the quality of groundnut sold in India is poor as we accept aflatoxin level upto 30% compared to single digit level in EU Similarly in exports to non EU countries which is twenty times more than the EU there is no need for these type of stringent mointoiring of supply chain But with the international global standards becoming uniform in nature the Government would be ill advised to drop these precautionary measures in case of exports to non EU countries Rather it should use this oppertunity to make the whole industry quality controlled so that exports reach a critical mass in this important 1500 crore export dominated business