Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 14: Agriculture Department along with Regional Council PGS-India Jammu Divisional Seed Certification Officer today organised a one-day training programme for Agriculture Extension Officers and Regional Councils on the Participatory Guarantee System – India (PGS-INDIA) at Baba Jitto, Kissan Bhawan, Talab Tillo.
The training programme is part of the Alternate Agriculture System for Sustainability project under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) 2024-25.
The training aimed to equip extension officers, field functionaries, and regional councils with knowledge on the application, significance, and implementation of PGS-India Certification for organic produce.
Director Agriculture Jammu, Arvinder Singh Reen emphasized the pivotal role of PGS-India Certification in promoting organic farming standards. He highlighted how this certification enhances production quality and boosts farmers’ income through improved market access and premium pricing for certified organic produce.
The Director outlined the certification process for organic clusters on the PGS-India portal, which spans three years and culminates in the awarding of PGS certification and the organic logo.
During this period, farmers will benefit from organic inputs and training provided by the Department of Agriculture, which will also support marketing and branding efforts to further enhance farmer incomes.
The Participatory Guarantee System – India (PGS-INDIA) is a local-based quality assurance system that ensures products are produced by local farmers adhering to PGS standards.
The system primarily involves documentation, inspection, and decision-making by local farmers and stakeholders, culminating in certification endorsed by the Regional Council (RC) and marketed within India’s local markets.
During the programme, certificates were distributed to the participants by the Director, acknowledging their participation and commitment to the training.
Technical sessions were led by distinguished experts, including Dr. Satish Kumar, Professor at CONF – SKUAST (J), Dr. Amitesh, Scientist in Plant Breeding and Genetics at KVK Jammu, Vivek Sahi, Senior Manager at Nature Bio Foods, Project Jammu, and Sushant Sharma, representative of Aditi Organic Certification Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The programme was attended by Joint Director Agriculture (Extension) Satish Sharma, Deputy Director (Trainings) Alok Pandotra, DSCO Prem Singh, and SMS-RL Darmesh Vaid, among others. Programme Officer, Rajeev Katoch conducted the proceedings of the event.
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