Visakhapatnam  :

The Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) has received organic certification from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) on Wednesday for 13 products.

The corporation got the certification for products such as Honey, Amla, Tamarind, Shikakai, Soap Nut, Nannari, Karakkaya, Sarpagandhi, Nux Vomica, Gum Karaya, Gum Olipinam, Marking Nuts and Sugandhiphala. The 56-year-old GCC has become the first organisation in the country to get certification for forest produce.

Armed with the organic certification, GCC is now planning to tap premium markets, GCC managing director A Ravi Prakash told TOI. He said the certification is expected to boost GCC’s annual turnover in the coming years.

“Once GCC enters the premium market, our products are expected to generate more revenue. If everything goes well, we will export our products as well,” he said. GCC’s turnover in 2014-15 was Rs 185 crore, which is a 20% jump over the previous fiscal’s turnover of Rs 143 crore.

“We will strive hard for GCC’s growth. This certificate has put more responsibility on our shoulders. We have to plan carefully and make investments to maintain the quality and hygiene of products,” he said.

The GCC MD said that the corporation is also going to revamp its marketing strategy by setting up shops in commercial complexes and putting their products on e-commerce platforms.

“We plan to adopt new trading avenues. Till date, GCC has been active only in the traditional market. But the trend should gradually change for the better,” he said.

Sources said that GCC has decided to go for special advertisement campaigns to penetrate the market by competing with other corporates in some product categories. The corporation is now planning on passing the benefits to the tribal people, who are the backbone of the corporation, the sources added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Visakhapatnam / by Siva G, TNN / October 29th, 2015