The Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation (JKTPO) under the guidance of Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Prashant Goyal and under the supervision of Managing Director, JKTPO, Khalid Jahangir organized the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) awareness drive for organic certification of Honey, ODOP product of Ramban District in collaboration with Invest India (One District One Product) team, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry at Administrative Complex, Ramban.
The workshop aimed to provide certification and training to farmers already engaged in producing organic Honey, but lacking the necessary certification for their product’s authenticity. This initiative is part of JKTPO's efforts to promote ODOP products in Jammu and Kashmir and increase the export potential of Honey.
At the onset, Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Massarat Islam appreciated the efforts of JKTPO for conducting such events and emphasized the need to increase Honey production to meet market demand, improve packaging to meet international standards, and promote Ramban as a "Desi Organic District" of J&K.
According to the Chief Agriculture Officer of Ramban, Dr. Ashwani Kumar, there is a high demand for Organic Honey of Ramban in India and abroad due to its unique characteristics. The organic certification of is expected to boost its demand and help increase the farmers' income.
The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) involves the accreditation of Certification Bodies, setting standards for organic production, promoting organic farming and marketing, etc., under the Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Government of India.
The NPOP standards for production and accreditation system have been recognised by the European Commission and Switzerland as equivalent to their country standards.The drive was attended by over 100 plus Honey producers/Bee keepers from Ramban district, and more farmers are expected to come under organic certification.
Onspot registration for Organic Certificate for Honey was done for 80+ Bee keepers.This workshop is the third NPOP Awareness Drive organised by JKTPO for the organic certification of Honey, with the first two held in Pulwama & Kishtwar for saffron growers.