Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has made registration mandatory for peanut shelling units in order to export groundnut and groundnut products.
As per information by Indian Oilseed and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC), peanut shelling units have to get registered on APEDA website before March 31.
IOPEPC said, “Exporters shall ensure that all peanuts and peanut Products (PPP) units from whom they source the produce have made their data including name and address, capacity, etc. of the unit available to IOPEPC for submission to Peanut.Net (a unit of APEDA) by March 31, this year since customs would only accept certificate of export through Peanut.Net w.e.f April 1, as advised by APEDA to them.”
According to APEDA's new regulations, exporters shall ensure that all PPP processing units (including integrated peanut processing units, shelling units, grading units, shelling-cum-grading units, and godowns/storage) whose data is made available to Peanut.Net would need to obtain HACCP certification by July 31.
Moreover, exporters will have to ensure compliance with the aflatoxin levels and moisture levels (not exceeding 7 percent) in the PPP for export as specified in the regulation. The amendment would be applicable for exports of PPP to countries other than Russia and EU only.
It must be mention here that, in early January, when APEDA had imposed the new regulation for groundnut export, the industry players mainly from Gujarat has opposed it and refused to be member of IOPEPC. Groundnut shelling units of Gujarat have come together under a newly formed ‘Gujarat Oilseeds Processors Association’ (GOPA) to oppose new rules for groundnut export recently announced by the director general of foreign trade (DGFT).