India-GAP mooted by APEDA to promote agricultural exports

Tiruchirapalli, Feb 24 (UNI) The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) today mooted India- Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) at par with Europe GAP and others.

Talking to newspersons here, S Dave, Director, APEDA, said APEDA had submitted a document to the Ministry of Agriculture incorporating 115 parameters on a wide ambit of field to post-harvest exercises.

He said the document covers all the agro-products like fruits, vegetables, pulses, cereals, spices and medicinal plants. There was no need for an enactment of fresh law for this purpose, he added.

It was up to the Government to decide who should be the implementing agency, but however, India-GAP should boost the export activities of agricultural products, Mr Dave said.

The Director said APEDA had suggested that a group of farmers could come together and be an applicant for the accreditation under India-GAP and possess the capability of an export institution.

APEDA has estimated about Rs 500 crore expenditure for the implementation of India-GAP across the country even at taluk-levels and the implementation agency should promote model farms at every district before educating the farmers, he said.

He said apart from the Government departments, the academics, the agriculture forums and the media should play an important role to promote India-GAP, enabling Indian farmers to compete in the global market. India-GAP had set better benchmarks than the Europe-GAP and others, he added.

He said a minimum one-lakh farmers could be enlisted under India-GAP within two years, which would result in substantial results for Indian exports.

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