Maharashtra govt will verify organic farming certificates, says agriculture minister

Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) The Maharashtra government will scrutinise certificates issued for organic farming by accredited agencies to prevent fraud and protect genuine cultivators, state Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne said on Wednesday.

Detection of irregularities will result in the government reporting the responsible agencies to the Central government for appropriate action.

Bharne chaired a meeting at the state secretariat to assess the functioning of organic certification agencies, according to a statement.

"Verification of the agency that has issued certificates for organic and natural farming is important, and the government is spreading awareness among farmers to protect themselves from fraud", he added.

He directed that preliminary verification be carried out to check instances where traders might be selling non-organic produce under a certified farmer's name using the same certificate.

"Although certification agencies operate under the purview of the Centre, the state government will monitor their functioning and submit reports on errant agencies for legal action. Farmers can also take legal recourse if they face fraud by any certification body," he added. PTI MR NSK