TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday (July 10) announced that the mutual recognition agreement (MRA) on organic equivalency between India and Taiwan has now come into effect.
The bilateral organic equivalency agreement, which relates to food labeling, is a “landmark achievement,” the Indian government said in a press release. It was implemented by India's Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Taiwan's Agriculture and Food Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), per CNA.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India said that according to the agreement, agricultural products produced under India’s National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) and certified by an NPOP-accredited certifying body can be labeled “India Organic” for sale in Taiwan.
Similarly, agricultural products produced under Taiwan's Organic Agriculture Promotion Act and certified by a recognized Taiwanese body can be labeled “Taiwan Organic” for sale in India.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry explained that the agreement simplifies regulatory requirements and enhances trade opportunities. “The MRA will pave the way for the export of major Indian organic products such as rice, processed food, green, black and herbal tea, and medicinal plant products to Taiwan,” it said.
Taiwan’s representative to India Baushuan Ger (葛葆萱) and then Director-General of the India-Taipei Association Gourangalal Das finalized the agreement with an exchange of signed letters.