Preamble - BLACK SCENTED RICE GRADING AND MARKING RULES, 2020

BLACK SCENTED RICE GRADING AND MARKING RULES, 2020

PREAMBLE

Whereas, the draft of the Black scented Rice Grading and Marking Rules, 2019 was published as required under sub section (1) of section 3 of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 (1 of 1937) vide notification number G.S.R. 608(E), dated the 23rd August, 2019 in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), dated the 30th August, 2019, inviting objections and suggestions from all persons likely to be affected thereby within forty-five days from the date on which copies of the Gazette of India containing the said notification were made available to the public;

And, whereas, copies of the said Gazette were made available to the public on the 30th August, 2019;

And, whereas, the objections and suggestions received from the public in respect of the said draft rules within the specified period have been considered by the Central Government;

Now, therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 (1 of 1937), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely:-

Rule 1 - Short title, application and commencement

(1) These rules may be called the Black scented Rice Grading and Marking Rules, 2020.

(2) They shall apply to the varieties of Black Scented Rice of Oryza sativa L., intended for human consumption.

(3) They shall come into force on the date of their final publication in the Official Gazette.

Rule 2 - Definitions

(1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) "Agricultural Marketing Adviser" means the Agricultural Marketing Adviser to the Government of India;

(b) "authorised packer" means a person or a body of persons who has been granted a certificate of authorisation to grade and mark the Black scented rice in accordance with the grade standards and procedure provided under these rules;

(c) certificate of authorisation" means a certificate issued under the provisions of the General Grading and Marking Rules, 1988 authorising a person or a body of persons to grade and mark Black Scented Rice with the grade designation mark;

(d) "General Grading and Marking Rules" means the General Grading and Marking Rules, 1988 made under section 3 of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 (1 of 1937);

(e) "grade designation mark" means the Agmark insignia referred to in rule 3;

(f) "Legal Metrology (Packed Commodities) Rules" means the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, made under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (1 of 2010); and

(g) "Schedule" means a schedule appended to these rules.

(2) Words and expressions used in these rules and not defined but defined in the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 or the General Grading and Marking Rules, 1988 shall have the same meanings as are assigned to them under that Act or the rules.

Rule 3 - Grade designation mark

The grade designation mark shall consist of "AGMARK insignia" consisting of a design incorporating the certificate of authorisation number, the word "AGMARK", name of commodity and grade designation resembling the design as set out in Schedule-I.

Rule 4 - Grade designations

The grade designations to indicate the quality of varieties of Black scented Rice shall be as set out column (1) of the Table in Schedule-II.

Rule 5 - Quality

For the purposes of these rules, the quality of raw milled Black scented Rice shall be as specified in Schedule-II.

Rule 6 - Method of packing

(1) Black Scented Rice shall be packed in new clean and dry jute bags or paper bags or cloth bags or poly woven bags with inner lining of food grade material or any bio-degradable packaging materials or poly packs of food grade material or any other packaging material as approved by the Agricultural Marketing Adviser or the officer authorised by him under rule 11 of the General Grading and Marking Rules.

(2) The packaging material shall be free from insect and fungal infestation and shall not impart any toxic substance or undesirable odour or flavour or colour to the product.

(3) Black Scented Rice shall be packed in pack sizes in accordance with the provisions of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules or as may be allowed by the Agricultural Marketing Adviser under rule 11 of the General Grading Marking Rules.

(4) Graded material of small pack sizes of the same lot or batch and grade may be packed in a master container with complete details thereon along with grade designation mark.

(5) Each package shall contain Black scented Rice of the same type and of the same grade designation.

(6) Each package shall be properly and securely closed and sealed so as to disallow spilling.

Rule 7 - Method of marking

(1) The grade designation mark shall be securely affixed to or printed on each package in the manner approved by the Agricultural Marketing Adviser or the officer authorised by him under rule 11 of the General Grading and Marking Rules.

(2) In addition to the grade designation mark, following particulars shall be clearly and indelibly marked on each label or package, namely:-

(a) name of the commodity;

(b) variety or trade name (optional);

(c) grade;

(d) lot/batch number;

(e) date of packing;

(f) crop year (optional);

(g) net weight;

(h) Best Before ___________ MONTH ______ YEAR;

(i) Maximum retail price (inclusive of all taxes);

(j) Name and address of the authorised packer;

(k) any other particulars as may be specified under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, or under the Food Safety and standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulations, 2011 or any other law for the time being in force or any instructions issued under the provisions of the Act.

(3) The ink used for marking on packages shall not contaminate the Black scented Rice.

(4) The authorised packer may after obtaining prior approval of the Agricultural Marketing Adviser or the officer authorised by him under rule 11 of the General Grading and Marking Rules, mark his private trade mark or trade brand on the graded packages provided it does not indicate quality other than that indicated by the grade designation mark affixed to the graded packages in accordance with these rules.

Rule 8 - Special conditions of Certificate of Authorisation

(1) In addition to the conditions specified in sub-rule (8) of rule 3 of the General Grading and Marking Rules every authorised packer shall follow all instructions specified under the provisions of the Act.

(2) The authorised packer shall either set up his own laboratory as per prescribed norms or have access to an approved State Grading Laboratory or cooperative or association laboratory or a private commercial laboratory manned by a qualified chemist approved by the Agricultural Marketing Adviser or the officer authorised by him under rule 9 of the General Grading and Marking Rules for testing the quality of Black scented Rice.

(3) The premises shall be maintained in hygienic and sanitary conditions with proper ventilations and well lighted arrangement and the personnel engaged in these operations shall be in sound health and free from any infectious, contagious or communicable diseases.

(4) The premises shall have adequate storage facilities with pucca floor and free from dampness, any kind of cracks and crevices, rodent and insect infestation.

(5) The authorised packer and the approved chemist shall observe all instructions regarding testing, grading, packing, marking, sealing and maintenance of records which may be issued under the provisions of the Act.

Schedule I - SCHEDULE I

(See rule 3)

(Design of AGMARK insignia)

Name of commodity......................

Grade........................................

Schedule II - SCHEDULE II

(See rules 4 and 5)

Grade designation and quality of Raw milled Black scented Rice

1. Black Scented Rice shall be obtained from matured kernels of the varieties of Oryza sativa L. intended for human consumption and it is popularly known as Chakhao.

2. Minimum requirement:

(1) Raw milled Black scented Rice shall,-

(a) have uniform size, shape, colour and condition;

(b) be long, slender, Black to purple in color;

(c) possess marked degrees of natural fragrance, characteristic of black scented rice both in raw and cooked forms;

(d) be free from artificial colouring, polishing agents, artificial fragrances and any other chemicals;

(e) be free from obnoxious smell;

(f) be free from rodent hair and excreta, filth, moulds, live insects, dead insects, insect fragments and fungus;

(2) domestic trade, it shall comply with the restrictions in regard to residual levels of metal contaminants, insecticides and pesticides residues, microbial requirements, crop contaminants, naturally occurring toxic substances and other food safety requirements as specified under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, and other regulations made for domestic trade under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006).

(3) export trade, it shall comply with the residual limits of heavy metals, pesticides and other food safety requirements as laid down by the Codex Alimentarius Commission or importing countries requirement for export trade.

3. Criteria for grade designation:

TABLE

Grade designation	[Maximum limit of tolerance (percent by mass)]							Kernel Breadth (Millimeter) (Minimum)	Kernel Length (Millimeter) (Minimum)
	Moisture	Foreign matter		Broken and fragments	Damaged discoloured and Chalky grains	Other varieties of rice	Red strips/Red and Green Paddy grains
		Organic	Inorganic
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)	(9)	(10)
Special	12.0	Absent	Absent	5.0	2.0	0.5	Absent	2.0	5.0
Standard	13.0	0.10	0.10	10.0	4.0	2.0	3.0	2.3
General	14.0	0.20		20.0	8.0	5.0	6.0	2.5

Note: Kernel length/Breadth (L/B) ratio should not be less than 2.0

Explanation.-For the purpose of this Table,-

(a) "Broken and fragments" includes pieces of rice kernels which are less than three fourth of a whole kernel.

(b) "Chalky Grains" means the grain at least half of which are milky white in color and brittle in nature.

(c) "Damaged, discoloured grains" include rice kernels, broken fragments of whole kernels that are internally damaged or discoloured (including black grains), materially affecting the quality.

(d) Foreign matter includes,-

(i) "organic matter" means husk, bran fragments, chaff, stems, straw and grains other than rice;

(ii) "Inorganic matter" means stones, sand, dust, lumps of earth, kernels or pieces of kernels having mud sticking on the surface or any other inorganic foreign matter.

(e) "Other varieties" means varieties of rice other than those notified as Black Scented rice.

(f) Red grains shall be the kernels, whole or broken which have twenty five per cent or more of their surface coated with red bran.

(g) Red-streaked kernels are kernels, whole or broken, with red streaks, the length of which may be equal to or greater than one half of that of the whole kernel, but the surface area covered by these red streaks shall be less than one quarter of the total surface.

(h) "Green grains" mean the kernels whole or broken, which are greenish in colour.

4. Other requirements.-

(a) The Black Scented Rice shall have texture of cooked grain for high integrity (without bursting the surface), non-stickiness, tenderness, good taste and good mouth feel.

(b) The condition of the Black Scented Rice shall be such so as to enable it to-

(i) Withstand transport and handling; and

(ii) arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.

(c) Black Scented Rice shall be stored in dry and hygienic place at normal room temperature.

(d) Alkali spreading value should be in the range of two to five.

(e) Amylose content (Percent by weight) on dry basis should be in the range of four to ten.