Certified problem

Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS) Farmers will have to form a group of at least five and then apply for PGS, introduced in 2015 under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana Registration of a new farmer takes three years A farmer has to peer-review the fields thrice every season—during sowing, harvest and once in between. This inspection takes around 12 days every season National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) Farmers and processors can get a certificate from agencies accredited by NPOP, which has been in place since 2001 Farmers growing perennial crops need to wait for three years to get a new certificate. For annual crops, the waiting time is two years Farmers already practising organic can get a certificate after a year Cost may vary from `15,000 to `50,000, depending on the size of the holding and the fee of the inspecting third-party Source: Organic industry experts and farmers