Shillong, August 15: The Regional Centre for Organic and Natural Farming, Imphal, in collaboration with the Bio-Resources Development Centre (BRDC), anautonomous R&D institution under the Planning Department, Government of Meghalaya, organized a two-day training programme on “PGS-India Certification.”
The event took place on August 13th and 14th, 2024, and was aimed at enhancing the knowledge and skills of officers and stakeholders involved in the organic certification process in Meghalaya.
BRDC, designated asthe Organic Certifying Agency (OCA)of Meghalaya by the state government in February 2020, has been actively involved in promoting organic certification through the Participatory Guarantee System of India (PGS-India).
The Centre, authorized as a Regional Council (RC) by the National Executive Commission, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, has conducted various training and awareness programs to support the state’s organic farming initiatives.
The first day of the programme was held at MegLIFE, Shalom Building, Shillong, and wasattended by State Extension Officers and other reresentatives from various organizations suchas MSRLS, NESFAS, NECTAR, and MBMA-SLM, aswell as service providers and local group leaders.
The eventwas hosted by Smti. Ezagloria F. Kharmawphlang,System Facilitator (PGS), BRDC, with a welcome address by Smti. Elisha Jala, Quality Manager (PGS), BRDC . Dr. Srinivasamurthy R.,JSO,RCONF,Imphal, delivered the keynote address and introduced the Chief Guest, Shri Gunanka D.B.,IFS,Joint Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya and Member Secretary,Bio Resources Development Centre (BRDC), Shillong
In his address, Shri Gunanka D.B.,IFS emphasized the importance of organic certification increating opportunities for farming communities, improving market access, and supporting local economies. He highlighted the state’s ambitious target of converting over 1 lakh hectares of land to organic agriculture under the State Mission Organic initiative.
The training programme was divided into several sessions over the two days. On the first day,Dr. SrinivasamurthyR. provided an overview of PGS-India Organic Certification Standards and discussed the procedures for individual farmer certification, local group certification, and large area certification.
Mr. Pinak Protim Baruah from QMARK International Certifications Pvt. Ltd. conducted an online session on the certification process for processing and handling, including the necessary compliance requirements.
The second day featured a live demonstration of the PGS-India Portal, where participants learned about the registration process and the Jaivi Kheti Portal for marketing certified organic products. Dr. Srinivasamurthy also provided insights into the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming’swebportal.
The final session, led by Mr. Rituparna Borthakur from QMARK International Certifications Pvt. Ltd., focused on the roles and responsibilities of Regional Councils and Service Providers in the certification process.
The training programme concluded with afeed back session, a summary of the key take aways, and the distribution of certificates to all participants. The event successfully equipped participants with the knowledge and tools needed to advance organic certification efforts in Meghalaya, paving the way for a more sustainable and prosperous agricultural future in the state.
