Basmati export centre coming up in Pilibhit to boost premium production
Pilibhit: Farmers in Pilibhit are preparing to take their high-quality Basmati rice to over 100 countries with support from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
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To boost exports and improve local production, APEDA is setting up Uttar Pradesh's second Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF) in Pilibhit, following a Rs 10 crore project in Meerut.
The move comes after efforts by Union minister of state for commerce and industry Jitin Prasada who is also the MP of Pilibhit. APEDA has now approved a 7-acre plot at the govt agriculture farm in Tanda Bijesi village for the BEDF.
BEDF joint director Dr Ritesh Sharma said India exports Basmati rice to over 100 countries, including in Europe, the US, and the Middle East and that "a significant share of India's agricultural foreign exchange earnings comes from Basmati exports, with major contributions from Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh".
The proposed BEDF in Pilibhit will include a research, demonstration, and training centre; a high-quality seed production unit; and a world-class NABL-accredited lab to test Basmati DNA, pesticide residues, and heavy metals: requirements crucial to meet global export standards.
"The BEDF aims to promote high-quality Basmati cultivation in Pilibhit, train farmers in advanced techniques, and provide marketing support, particularly for exports. Farmers will also be trained to produce nucleus Basmati seeds," said Sharma.
He added, "Entrepreneurs and exporters involved in paddy processing and seed production will also receive training in scientific techniques. The programme will be free of cost and will benefit farmers from other states as well."
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Despite being one of UP's top coarse paddy producers, Pilibhit lags in Basmati cultivation due to a lack of marketing support and absence of a govt procurement scheme under the minimum support price (MSP) structure, discouraging many farmers from switching. District agriculture records show paddy is grown on 1.45 to 1.47 lakh hectares annually, but Basmati is limited to just 7,000–8,000 hectares. While Basmati yields 40–45 quintals per hectare compared to 60–65 for coarse paddy, its market price makes up for it.
"In 2024–25, the UP govt procured coarse paddy at Rs 2,300 per quintal, but Basmati fetched up to Rs 5,500, offering farmers a potential additional profit of Rs 90,000 per hectare," said Manjit Singh Sandhu, a farmer from Bela Pokhra cultivating both varieties.
SS Dhaka, plant physiologist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, said, "The Terai region's nighttime temperatures of 20–24°C and high monsoon humidity make Pilibhit ideal for Basmati's vegetative growth."
To support marginal Basmati producers, farmer producer organisations (FPOs) will be set up under the state's export promotion policy, linking local farmers directly with exporter groups.
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