grade designation of Agricultural Produce

“Grade designation” means a designation prescribed as indicative of the quality of any scheduled article;

3.  Prescription of grade designation:-[(1)] The Central Government may, after previous publication by notification in the Official Gazette, [make rules to carry out the provisions of this Act.
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:-]
(a) fixing grade designations to indicate the quality of any scheduled article;

(b) defining the quality indicated by every grade designation ;

(c) specifying grade designation marks to represent particular grade designations ;

(d) authorising the person or a body of persons, subject to any prescribed conditions, to mark with a grade designation mark any article in respect of which such mark has been prescribed or any covering containing or label attached to any such article ;

(e) specifying the conditions referred to in clause (d) including in respect of any article conditions as to the manner of marking, the manner in which the article shall be packed, the type of covering to be used, and the quantity by weight, number or otherwise to be included in each covering:

(f) providing for the payment of any expenses incurred in connection with the manufacture or use of any implement necessary for the reproduction of a grade designation mark or with the manufacture or use of any covering or label marked with a grade designation mark [or with measures for the control of the quality of articles marked with grade designation marks including testing of samples and inspection of such articles or with any publicity work carried out to promote the sale of any class of such articles;] [* * *]

(g) providing for the confiscation and disposal of produce marked otherwise than in accordance with the prescribed conditions with the grade designation mark;

[(h) any other matter which is required to be, or may be, prescribed.]

[[(3)] Every rule made by the Central Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.]

4.  Penalty for unauthorised marking with grade designation mark:-Whoever marks any scheduled article with a grade designation mark, not being authorised to do so by rule made under section 3, shall be punishable [with imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months and fine not exceeding five thousand rupees].

Following product shall be graded :

1.Fruit
2.Vegetables
3.Eggs
4.Dairy produce
5.Tobacco
6.Coffee
7.Hides and skins
[8.Fruit products.
9.Atta.
10.Oil seeds.
11.Vegetable oils (including hydrogenated oils and vegetable fats).
12.Cotton.
13.Rice.
14.Lac.
15.Wheat.
16.Sun hemp
17.Sugar-cane gur (jaggery).
18.Myrobalans.
19.Bura.
20.Wool and Goat hair.
21.Bristles.
22.Resin and turpentine.
23.Arecanuts.
24.Essential Oils.
25.Cashewnut.
26.Cardamom.
27.Pepper.
28.Ginger.
29.Honey.
30.Curry powder.
31.Kapok.
32.Raw Jute.
33.Paddy.
34.Millets.
35.Mesta.
36.Chillies.
37.Turmeric.
38.Tapioca Chips and Tapioca Flour.
39.Sisal and Aloe Fibres.
40.Oil cake.
41.Condiments and spices (Other than pepper, ginger, cashewnut, cardamom, chillies and turmeric, to which the provisions of the Act have already been applied).
42.Pulses.
43.Mushrooms.
44.Poppy seeds.
45.Walnut.
46.Gaur Gum, Karya gum etc.
47.Beeswax
48.Gram.
49.Jowar.
50.Maize.
51.Barley.
52.Ragi.
53.Bajra.
54.Meat chicken and dressed chicken meat.
55.Sheekakai powder.
56.Cashew-shell oil (liquid)].

Agricultural Produce (Grading And Marking) Act, 1937