When was the AGMARK Act implemented in India?

The AGMARK Act was implemented in India in 1937. The full name of the act is the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937. It was amended in 1986. The act is enforced by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of the Government of India.

The AGMARK mark is a certification mark that assures that agricultural products conform to a set of standards approved by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection. The standards cover 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 of AGMARK is in Faridabad. The central AGMARK Laboratory is in Nagpur and 11 state-owned AGMARK labs are found in 11 nodal cities.

The AGMARK mark is a voluntary certification, but it is mandatory for certain products, such as blended edible vegetable oil and fat spread. The mark is also used by some exporters to ensure that their products meet international standards.