With an aim to boost the export of basmati rice, two government bodies — Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF) launched an awareness camp on July 16 in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar.
The camp was intended for farmers to persuade them not to use excessive pesticides in their crops as the overuse of pesticides often hampers basmati rice’s export potential.
In this regard, APEDA and the BEDF have launched 75 farmer awareness campaigns throughout seven states — Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. These seven states have also received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Basmati cultivation.
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The first such campaign was conducted in Gautam Buddha Nagar’s Jahangirpur town.
Basmati Export Development Foundation has allotted a helpline number (8630641798) to help the farmers. Farmers can get rid of the diseases and pests in Basmati rice by sending a photo of their crop. They should use insecticides only when necessary.
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“Through the awareness campaign, farmers learned about traditional farming methods with limited use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which will aid in the export of Basmati,” said Ritesh Sharma, Principal Scientist, Basmati Export Development Establishment.
“On the first day of the drive, more than 125 farmers from western Uttar Pradesh participated. Farmers learned to use the appropriate volume of pesticides and fertilisers to grow high-quality Basmati rice, which would help them improve global demand for Basmati rice and increase their income,” he added.
APEDA also advised farmers to use certified seeds and apply chemical fertilisers in accordance with scientific techniques in a bid to maintain the quality of the produce, thereby increasing the country’s export of Basmati rice.
BEDF has allotted a helpline number (8630641798) to counsel the farmers. Farmers can get rid of the diseases and pests in Basmati rice by sending a photo of their crop and availing the advice of the experts.
In 2020-21, India sold 4.63 million tonnes of Basmati rice valued at Rs 29,849 crore (US$ 4019 million).
APEDA has been promoting rice exports in conjunction with many stakeholders along the value chain. Under the auspices of APEDA, the government established the Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF).
REPF is represented by the rice industry, exporters, APEDA officials, Ministry of Commerce and Agriculture directors from significant rice-producing states such as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
