History of the Organic Control Unit

NOCGL → NOCA → NOCU

National Organic Control Guarantee Limited (NOCGL)

High cost of certification has been the major limiting factor for the expansion of supply and market capacities of Sri Lankan organic producers/exporters. Therefore, the National Organic Certification (Guarantee) Ltd (NOCGL) was established in 2007 by the EDB under the Companies Act to facilitate the low cost organic certificate to make the organic products to be competitive in the international market.   Later it was identified that the best approach for the low cost organic certification and to avoid tariff barriers to EU is to obtain 3rd country registration in the EU region.

Therefore, the NOCGL was given the task of setting up of the “National Organic Control Authority” (NOCA).

National Organic Control Authority (NOCA)

NOCA was proposed to establish as an independent authority under Sri Lanka Export Development Board. Objective of establishment of NOCA is to lodge 3rd country registration to ensure that only products certified by registered agencies under the control authority are allowed to use the organic label. Also to monitor and control the credibility of organic agriculture sector and safeguard the image of Sri Lanka in the international market.

Considering the cost of establishing separate authority NOCA was established as a NOCU under EDB as an independent unit.