Kaziranga-Based Farmer Producer Company Gets USDA and Japanese Organic Certifications

Bokakhat Agro Organic Producer Company Limited, a farmer-owned organisation based in Kaziranga, has secured both United States Department of Agriculture Organic and Japanese Agricultural Standard Organic certifications. According to the organisation, it is the first farmer producer company in the Northeast to receive both certifications.

Key Highlights

• Bokakhat Agro Organic Producer Company Limited was established in 2017 by the Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing, Assam, under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North Eastern Region.
• The organisation brings farmers together to promote organic cultivation and build an organised value chain covering aggregation, processing, branding and marketing.
• The United States Department of Agriculture Organic certification enables compliance with organic standards required for accessing the United States organic market.
• The Japanese Agricultural Standard Organic certification facilitates access to Japan’s regulated organic market.
• The certification process was carried out by ECOCERT India, with technical support for certification and compliance.

Why is this important for Assam?

Assam and the wider Northeast possess considerable agricultural diversity, but small farmers often face difficulties in reaching international markets because of inadequate aggregation, certification, traceability, processing and branding.

The farmer producer company model addresses this gap by collectively organising farmers and connecting farm production → certification → processing → branding → markets.

International certification can therefore help farmers move from selling agricultural commodities to accessing premium-value markets, potentially improving farm incomes.

Way Forward

• Assam needs to strengthen traceability and certification compliance to maintain international market access.
• Farmer organisations should develop export-ready products, adequate production volumes and direct buyer linkages.
• Greater investment in processing, packaging, cold-chain infrastructure and branding can increase the value captured by farmers.
• The model can be replicated for other high-value organic products of the Northeast.

Prelims Pointers

• Farmer Producer Company: A farmer-owned company formed to collectively undertake activities such as production, aggregation, processing and marketing.
• United States Department of Agriculture Organic: Organic certification system applicable to products entering the United States organic market.
• Japanese Agricultural Standard: Japan’s national standards framework covering agricultural and food products, including organic products.
• Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North Eastern Region: Focuses on developing organic value chains in the Northeastern states.
• Traceability: The ability to track a product through different stages of its production and supply chain.

Exam Hook – Prelims Question

1. Consider the following statements:

1. Farmer Producer Organisations can help small farmers collectively undertake aggregation, processing and marketing.
2. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North Eastern Region focuses on developing organic value chains in Northeast India.
3. Organic certification is relevant only for domestic markets and has no role in international trade.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: 1 and 2 only.

One-line takeaway

BAOPCL shows how organised farmer institutions, international certification and value-chain development can convert Assam’s organic agriculture into an export-oriented source of higher farmer incomes.