agmark

Updated on Dec 18th, 2023

What is AGMARK?

AGMARK, or Agriculture Mark, is the certification mark to assure the quality of agricultural products in India.
AGMARK acts as a third party guarantee for the agricultural products that are produced and consumed in India.
The system traces its origin to 1934, where Archibald MacDonald Livingstone, Agricultural and Marketing Advisory to the Government of India, suggested that this certification come into force to benefit the local growers and prevent undue exploitation by the dealers of the produce.

The main objective is to provide consumers with quality, unadulterated products. The grading can be used for both domestic and export purposes.

This is issued by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, of the Government of India for agricultural products.
It covers quality guidelines for more than 200 different commodities ranging from pulses to cereals, from essential oils to semi-processed food like vermicelli.
The head office is in Faridabad.
The central AGMARK Laboratory is in Nagpur and 11 state owned AGMARK labs are found in 11 nodal cities.
It is legally enforceable as per the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act of 1937 (amended in 1986).
The application processes are done online via the platform created by the National Informatic Centre (NIC).
The standards for AGMARK are framed based on the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the International Organisation for Standardization.
AGMARK certification is voluntary except for edible vegetable oils and fat spread which is mandatory as per FSSAI Regulations, 2006.

Farmers are befitted as the state offers more subsidies to those products that carry the mark.
Marketing of the product finds a boost.
The quality of the product is sustained by virtue of statutory compliances.

The FSSAI mark is compulsory whereas, AGMARK is a voluntary certification.
FSSAI licensing covers all processes of food packing and every food item, agrarian or not. AGMARK, on the other hand, is meant exclusively for agricultural products.
FSSAI licensing comes under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, but AGMARK comes under the Agriculture Produce (Grading and Marketing) Act of India, 1937.