India allows urgent certification of plant products during the coronavirus crisis

Even during the restrictions in view of the coronavirus crisis, plant products such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, cuttings and seeds can be imported or exported to India. The government has ordered urgent certification in order not to jeopardize the food supply, to boost producers’ sales for export and to ensure the availability of seeds for the coming season. Phytosanitary certificates for export shipments and import releases of plants and plant products will continue to be processed during the emergency situation. A government spokesperson said that around 4000 certificates for export and 1000 releases for import have been issued.

The government is also revising the entitlement to crop insurance and introducing smart sampling to assess crop failures in April and May. Government officials contacted all states and insurance companies in the country to enforce the new rules. This is to ensure that farmers receive their compensation promptly. A specially established crisis centre coordinates the officials in the respective states and monitors the actions of the loss assessors. Most damage to crops and crop failures are caused by unseasonal heavy rain and hail. The usual main crop is wheat, followed by barley, mustard, sesame and peas.
In addition to monitoring crop failures, the government coordinates with farmers, middlemen, wholesalers and cooperatives to ensure smooth transport and distribution of goods and to avoid bottlenecks and food price increases. In addition to the customs authorities, plant products and food are monitored and certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The BIS is the largest of all certification authorities and plays an increasingly important role in the standardization of quality standards. It is to be expected that the BIS will also take over more and more product groups from other authorities. We would be pleased to support you in the BIS certification process and are also available to answer any questions you may have.
Here you can find more information about the AIS certification, BIS certification, WPC certification and TEC certification.
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