India aims to export USD one billion worth of organic products in the next five years as there is greater demand for non-food products such as organic cotton.
"Five years from now, we should aim at achieving USD 1 billion in organic products export by harnessing the potential in other products like organic cotton and other," Commerce
Secretary Rahul Kullar said after inaugurating a software here on the occasion of 10th anniversary of implementation of National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP).
India's organic products exports jumped to USD 125 million from USD 12 million in a span of eight years, he said.
Khullar also called concerned stakeholders to focus more on promoting organic products in the domestic market.
"We are not concerned about organic products not only for export purpose, but also because environment-friendly farm practises will help achieve sustainable agriculture in the
country," he said.
So far, the focus on export has been on organic food items, such as, tea and spices. But there is a greater scope in non-organic food items as well, he added.
Speaking about the software, Khullar said the launch of 'Tracenet' at national level to track organic products from farm to gate will help check export of spurious products.
The user-friendly web-based traceability system (Tracenet) has been developed by APEDA, a statutory body under the Commerce Ministry, to streamline and fasten the process of organic exports.
According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Tracenet is the world's first software on organic products that can trace details of each consignment up to the farm level.
The software can be easily accessed anywhere by all stakeholders in the supply chain of organic export from farmers to certificate bodies, it said, adding that it will help establish the credibility of organic certification and deliver commercial assurance.
At present, the European Union, Switzerland and the US recognise the accreditation and certification standards set up by NPOP for export of organic products.