The Hindu Business Line : Agri exporters hit by phytosanitary certification process

New Delhi, June 19 Exporters of agricultural goods and food products complain that the existing system of phytosanitary inspection by the concerned agencies is too cumbersome to comply with.

They are worried particularly over the insistence on 100 per cent inspection and loading the export produce in the presence of inspectors.

The authorities involved in the issue of such phytosanitary certificates to shipment of agri goods, particularly the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (Plant Quarantine) and Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (Apeda) under the Commerce Ministry, follow different modules for different products and destination.

But the idea of exporting standard products through subjecting the agri export cargo to inspection remains the same.

All the agencies involved in certifying the farm and food produce have to strictly adhere to the standards set by the importing countries lest the shipment get rejected if found contaminated or carried any harmful composition, officials in the Commerce Ministry said.

Mandatory list

Export certification remains mandatory for fish and fishery products, dairy products, poultry products, egg products, meat and meat products and honey.

Export Inspection Agencies certify other notified products such as basmati rice, black pepper, chemicals, footwear, engineering items and non-notified products such as tea, coffee, spices, and stainless steel utensils and ceramics.

While the value of exports certified by the EIAs in 2006-07 was Rs 7,718.37 crore, it amounted to Rs 6,544.5 crore during the first three quarters of 2007-08, indicating how sensitive importing countries are on the standards they expect of products from India.

Sources in the Government told Business Line here that the export certification for complying with phytosanitary measures has become crucial because there were some cases where the existing agencies have not done their job scrupulously.

This has forced the importing countries to raise the issue with the Government of India.

So in recent months, the certifying agencies have become alert to this reported abuse and insist on inspecting 100 per cent the loading of the material in the container in the presence of their officials.

However, the director of Apeda, Mr S. Dave, when contacted, said Apeda’s certifying agencies for mango, for instance, to Japan and the US, allow the shipment only after verifying that vapour-heat treatment for Japan cargo and irradiation test for the US cargo have been carried out.

He, however, denied any 100 per cent inspection of every container as it would be ‘physically impossible’.

Adding to cost

But the Plant Quarantine officials in the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation concede that there were some complaints to the effect that the present system of insisting on 100 per cent inspection by some certifying agencies has added to the transaction cost to trade and industry, particularly when they operate on a wafer-thin margin.

They are optimistic of finding a solution to meet the objectives of satisfying the importing countries’ concern for standard products and the exporters concern for not getting bogged down in too many cumbersome procedures and practices.

Multiplicity

Industry people say that since there is a multiplicity of export inspection agencies doing certification job for a myriad farm and food products, the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation might put in place a single window ‘certification system’ on phytosanitary measures.

It also could give accreditation to a few competent private inspection agencies, apart from the existing recognised laboratories and inspection agencies doing the certification work.

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Agri exporters hit by phytosanitary certification process