Research centre delay hurts Punjab basmati exports.

Time of India

10-05-2025

Chandigarh: Even as Punjab grapples with the dual challenge of farmers' struggle to grow
pesticide-free basmati
and ongoing efforts to wean them off water-intensive paddy, the state govt is yet to allocate the necessary land for a Centre-backed project. The proposed
basmati research centre
in
Tarn Taran
, intended to include basmati sample testing facilities, remains stalled, hindering a much-needed boost to the state's basmati exports in the competitive global market.The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (
APEDA
) had decided to set up the research centre, and the state govt initially offered to provide 14 acres of land in Khabba Rajputan village in Tarn Taran on a 30-year lease.
It was to include a seed centre and training centre for farmers.The delay comes amid the recent headwinds faced by Indian basmati exporters. Following a period of struggle due to the now-withdrawn minimum export price (MEP), the industry had to later deal with the complexities arising from the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, further impacting their ability to sell produce in the global market.According to Ashok Sethi, director of Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters' Association, the stalled basmati research centre was vital to prevent European rejection of export orders due to pesticide contamination.
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He highlighted the expensive alternative of private lab testing that costs around Rs 10,000 per sample. "A local exporter is now setting up his own laboratory. Every year, 4-5 containers are sent back from Europe. In August last year, the then secretary, agriculture and APEDA officials visited the site. The project is delayed despite the state govt's push for crop diversification," he said.An APEDA official added that the state-of-the-art research centre was to be funded by APEDA but is held back for want of necessary land by the state govt. The proposed research centre in Tarn Taran was envisioned to ensure the quality of Punjab's basmati exports, he said.Punjab stands as a major contributor to India's annual basmati rice exports, which are valued at approximately Rs 50 thousand crore. With a production level of 3.84 lakh metric tonnes in the last recorded period, the state accounts for a substantial 42.7% of the total national output. Key export destinations for Indian basmati in 2023-24 included Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, the USA, and Yemen Republic."The absence of such a facility leaves Punjab's significant basmati production vulnerable to international quality standards, potentially jeopardising its market share and the income of its farmers. The state govt's inaction on providing land for this vital project raises questions about its commitment to both crop diversification and supporting the basmati sector," said Amarjit Singh, a basmati exporter from Amritsar.BOX: PUNJAB HAS BANNED 10 INSECTICIDESThe state govt issued a gazette notification in 2023 to prohibit the sale, stock, and distribution of the insecticides on the basmati crop for being a "potential constraint in export and consumption of basmati rice." There is a risk of more than the maximum residual level (MRL) of pesticides on account of the use of the agro-chemicals, it said. MSID:: 121056937 413 |