The word “Agro textiles” is now used to classify the non-woven, woven, and knitted fabrics applied for agricultural & horticultural uses covering livestock protection, weed, shading, insect control, and extension of the growing season. The vital properties required are elongation, strength, bio-degradation, porosity, resistance to sunlight and resistance to a toxic environment. BIS Certification for shade nets, windshield nets, insect nets, harvest nets, etc., is required to ensure the quality of Agro textile products & use the standard mark. All Agro textiles manufacturers must obtain a BIS certificate for non-woven crop covers, woven ground covers, shade nets, jute Agro textiles, etc. It is not to survive in this competitive market without standard quality & certified products. All manufacturers may be required to obtain a BIS License to manufacture, import & sell products in the Indian market. In this article, we will discuss BIS Certification for Agro Textiles Products.
What is the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standard)?
BIS (Bureau of Indian Standard)[1] is a national standard body involved in the standard formulating, testing, marking, training, & quality certification of products. BIS provides safe & high-quality products, promotes import & export substitutes, and reduces health risks to consumers by standardisation, certification & testing. BIS operates several certification schemes to grant BIS licenses to Indian & international manufacturers after confirming which product meets the guideline of a given Indian Standard.
BIS Certification ensures that the public receives safe, reliable, high-quality, and risk-free products. BIS Certification allows using the standard ISI mark on the product and selling it in the Indian market. If anyone wants to be a standard mark on any product, the manufacturer must first obtain BIS Certification from the BIS. Unless the product bears the standard mark, it cannot be sold in the country. To obtain BIS Certification and use the standard ISI mark, the manufacturer needs to ensure that their product conforms to the specifications of the Indian standard. The presence of an ISI Mark on the products guarantees that it meets the requirements of the Indian Standards.
Benefits of Obtaining BIS Certification for Agro textiles Products
Following are the benefits of obtaining BIS Certification for Agro textiles products:
- It ensures that the product is safe, high-quality and reliable;
- To sell the Agro Textiles product in the Indian market;
- It ensures that the product complies with Indian standards;
- It ensures that the product has been tested and certified.
List of the Agro Textile Product as per Indian Standard
There are 22 Indian standards that specify the specifications & performance requirements of Agro textile products are following:
| Sr. No. | Indian Standard | product |
| 1. | IS 16718:2017 | Textiles- Polypropylene Spun Bounded Non-Woven Crop Cover Fabric for Agricultural & Horticultural Applications- Specification |
| 2. | IS 16008 (Part 2):2016 | Agro Textiles- Shade Nets for Agriculture & Horticulture Purposes- Specification Part 2 Shaded Nets Made from Mono Filament Yarns |
| 3. | IS 16008 (Part 1):2016 | Agro Textiles- Shade Nets for Agriculture & Horticulture Purposes- Specification Part 1 Shaded Nets Made from Tape Yarns |
| 4. | IS 16202:2014 | Agro Textiles – Woven Ground Covers for Horticulture Application- Specification |
| 5. | IS 15901:2010 | Agro Textiles- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Woven Beds for Vermiculture – Specification |
| 6. | IS 16190:2014 | Agro Textiles- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Laminated Woven Lay Flat Tube for Irrigation Purpose – Specification |
| 7. | IS 16627:2017 | Agro Textiles- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Laminated Woven Lay Flat Tube for Use in Mains and Submissions of Drip Irrigation System- Specification |
| 8. | IS 17356:2020 | Agro Textiles- Windshield Nets for Agriculture & Horticulture Purposes- Specification |
| 9. | IS 17358 (Part 1):2020 | Agro Textiles- Fencing Nets for Agriculture and Horticulture Purposes- Specification Part 1 Fencing Nets Made from Extruded Polymer Mesh |
| 10. | IS 17513:2020 | Agro Textiles – Plant Support Nets for Agriculture and Horticulture Purposes – Specification |
| 11. | IS 17729:2021 | Agro Textiles- Flexible Water Storage Tank for Agriculture & Horticulture Purposes- Specification |
| 12. | IS 17730 (Part 2): 2021 | Agro Textiles – Hail Protection Nets for Agriculture and Horticulture Purposes- Specification Part 2 Woven Hail Protection Net |
| 13. | IS 16513:2016 | Agro Textiles – Insect Nets for Agriculture & Horticulture Purposes- Specification |
| 14. | IS 17070:2019 | Jute Agro textiles for Growth of Plants & Suppression of Weeds- Specification |
| 15. | IS 16089:2013 | Jute Agro textile- Sapling Bags for Growth of Seeding or Sapling- Specification |
| 16. | IS 16390:2015 | Agro Textiles- Nylon Knitted Seamless Gloves for Tobacco Harvesters- Specification |
| 17. | IS 17355:2020 | Agro Textile- Propylene Spun Bonded Non-Woven Mulch Mat for Agriculture & Horticulture Application- Specification |
| 18. | IS 17357:2020 | Agro Textiles- Harvest Nets for Agriculture & Horticulture Purposes |
| 19. | IS 17358 (Part 2): 2020 | Agro Textiles – Fencing Nets for Agriculture & Horticulture Purposes- Specification Part 2 Fencing Nets Made from Mono Filament Yarns & Combination of Tape and Mono Filament Yarns |
| 20. | IS 17728:2021 | Agro Textiles – High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Laminated Woven Lay Flat Tube & Fittings for Use in Rain Irrigation System – Specification |
| 21. | IS 17730 (Part 1):2021 | Agro Textile- Hail Protection Nets for Agriculture & Horticulture Purposes- Specification PART 1 Wrap Knitted Hail Protection Nets |
| 22. | IS 17731:2021 | Agro Textiles- Laminated Woven Orchard Protection Covers- Specification |
Documents Required to Obtain BIS Certification for Agro Textiles Products
Following are some vital documents for obtaining BIS Certification for Agro Textiles Products:
- Product Laboratory Test Report as per Product Standard from a BIS authorised Laboratory;
- Flow chart and a detailed of the manufacturing process;
- Information of AuthorisedAuthorised Signatory and Quality control in charge;
- Factory Registration Documents like a land deed, MSME document and GST certificate;
- In-house Testing Facilities according to the applicable Indian standard specification.
Procedure to Obtain BIS Certification for Agro Textiles Products
The following are essential steps for obtaining BIS Certification for Agro Textiles Products:
Step 1: Documentation: If the applicant wants to obtain BIS certification for an agricultural textile, then the applicant must prepare all vital documents before applying.
Step 2: Application Submission: Once all vital documents are prepared, then the application form & supporting documents will be submitted to the BIS.
Step 3: Scrutiny of application form: After submitting the applicant and documents, the BIS officials will carefully review all submitted documents and applications.
Step 4: Audit of manufacturing premises: BIS will appoint an auditor and inspection team to audit manufacturing premises. During manufacturing facility inspection, BIS officials and the inspection team will draw a product sample and send it to a BIS-authorised laboratory for testing.
Step 5: Product Sample testing: All product samples collected will be tested in a BIS-authorised lab to ensure that the products meets the requirements of applicable Indian standards.
Step 6: Grant BIS Licence: If the product complies with the specified Indian standard, BIS will grant a BIS license certificate to the manufacturer.
Cost of BIS Certification for Agro Textiles Products
BIS Certification costs include:
- Application fee;
- Product samples testing fee;
- Audit fee;
- License fee;
- Marking fee;
Note: It also necessitates investment in factory facilities, particularly in the testing machinery installation for the in-house factory test laboratory.
Conclusion
Agro textile is frequently utilised in the agricultural and horticultural sectors to satisfy the various needs of crops. All Agro Textile manufacturers must get BIS certification for Agro textiles products to ensure Agro Textile quality and to use the standard mark. Obtaining BIS Certification is not as easy as initially seems because it necessitates working with authorities, gathering samples for testing, and fulfilling BIS standards.
Read our Article:How to Obtain BIS Certification for Geotextiles in India?
