GUWAHATI:
Giving a boost to India’s rice exports potential from the North East region, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) exported the first consignment of Geographical Indication (GI) tagged Joha rice and Aijung rice from Assam to Dubai on August 25.
The consignment was flagged off by APEDA chairman Dr M Angamuthu in presence of officials from APEDA and state government and representatives from ABM Agri Industry and Research Pvt Ltd which handled the shipment.
APEDA informed that the Joha rice shipped was sourced from the farmers of lower Assam’s Nalbari and Kamrup districts, while Aijung variety was sourced from Kamrup district.
Joha rice variety is known for its aroma and taste and its grain characteristic, and it is distinct from other aromatic rice like Basmati in biochemical and other quality attributes.
The APEDA promoted exports of GI products from the Northastern region (NER) like Bhut Jolokia, Jackfruit, etc which drew the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had mentioned it during his Maan Ki Baat programme.
Assam Lemon is now exported regularly to London and the Middle East and as of now, more than 50 MT of Assam Lemon has been exported. Besides, several consignments of litchi and pumpkin have also been exported by APEDA from Assam to different countries.
“Assam and the other states of the Northeast have a favourable climate condition and the soil type for growing almost all agricultural and horticultural crops. As most of NE states’ boundaries are shared with nations like Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China, there are possibilities of enhancing exports from the region,” APEDA Chairman Dr M Angamuthu said.
The APEDA informed that there has been a significant increase in the export of agricultural produce from NE states like Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya in the last few years. The region witnessed an 85.34 per cent growth in the export of agricultural products in the last six years as it increased from USD 2.52 million in 2016-17 to USD 17.2 million in 2021-22. The major destination of export has been Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Middle East, the UK and Europe.
To provide potential market linkages, APEDA, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, organised field visits of importers to have first-hand information about the qualitative cultivation practices being followed by farmers. Importers were mostly from the Middle East, far Eastern countries, European nations and Australia, etc.
It was informed that the shipment of non-Basmati rice witnessed a spike in 2021-22 as compared to 2020-21. The non-Basmati rice exports from the country rose by close to 28% USD 6.12 billion in 2021-22 from USD 4.7 billion in the previous year.
The top ten countries which import Non-Basmati Rice from India are Bangladesh, Benin, China, Nepal, Cote d Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, Guinea, Vietnam and Madagascar.