Leveraging cultural connections, Centre, UP push for ‘Buddha rice' exports to Thailand , Vietnam
New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government, in consultation with the commerce ministry, plans to promote the export of Kalanamak rice—also known as 'Buddha rice'— to countries with majority or large Buddhist populations.
The traditional aromatic variety, known for its nutritional richness and growing global demand, will be sold in Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Japan, Singapore and Nepal, among others, said UP's minister of industrial development, export promotion, NRI, and investment promotion, Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi' in an interview.
Special export quota
The plan is to leverage the rice's historical association with these countries. While rice exports from India were restricted last year, the central government has allowed a special quota of up to 1,000 tonnes for Kalanamak rice.
Read more: India to revamp rice cultivation technique to save water, cut labour costs, reduce methane emissions
Over 500 tonnes of the rice have been exported to Singapore, Nepal and other countries since the April 2024-waiver, the minister said. The rice is sought after in countries with Buddhist populations.
India's exports of Basmati and non-Basmati rice stood at $11.14 billion in FY23 but declined to $10.42 billion in FY24 due to export restrictions. However, following the lifting of the ban on all types of rice in October 2024, exports surged to $12.47 billion in FY25, commerce ministry data showed.
UP is formulating a new export policy aimed at tripling shipments to over ₹5 trillion in the next five years by tapping into new markets and diversifying its product base. The draft policy for 2025–30 is currently under review and is expected to be approved soon.
The new policy will focus on increasing exports from the current level of ₹1.7 trillion recorded in 2023–24 to three times that amount by 2030. To achieve this, the state government is planning a series of measures, including subsidies and other incentives.
'There is strong demand for this unique variety of rice, both in India and abroad. To meet this growing interest, we are working to increase its production and bring more area under cultivation by focusing on research and seed development. As part of this effort, a Kalanamak Rice Research Centre is being set up in Siddharthnagar district of Uttar Pradesh in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)," said Nandi.
Kalanamak rice is a traditional, non-basmati aromatic rice grown in eastern Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Siddharthnagar, where it has been designated as an ODOP (one district one product) item. Besides, it is also cultivated in parts of Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gonda, Balrampur, Bahraich, Sravasti and Kushinagar and has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, marking out its exclusivity.
The ministry of commerce's APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) promotes several GI-tagged agricultural products for exports, including Basmati rice from Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi; Darjeeling tea from West Bengal; and Alphonso mango from Maharashtra.
Known for its distinct black husk, fragrance and high iron content, Kalanamak rice was cultivated over 82,000 hectares across 11 districts in 2024. It is estimated that this will increase to 100,000 hectares this year, the minister said.
'Kalanamak rice is a nutritional powerhouse. It is rich in iron and antioxidants, has a low glycemic index, and is naturally gluten-free, making it a healthy dietary choice, especially for diabetics and those seeking a balanced, nutrient-rich alternative to polished white rice," said Dr Monashish Sahu, an endocrinologist based in New Delhi.
Read more: India eyes bumper basmati crop as short-duration variety acreage set to rise 10%
The global 'fragrant and long grain' rice market is projected to grow from $30 billion in 2023 to $45 billion by 2032, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5%, as per DataIntelo, a market research company.
A Common Facility Centre (CFC) named Shivansh Siddharthnagar Agriculture Development Producer Company Ltd has been established under the ODOP initiative, with 80% government funding, to promote Kalanamak rice.
It provides facilities for grading, packing, and other post-harvest processing to enhance export readiness.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Commercial LPG cylinder price slashed by ₹58.50, no change in domestic cylinder rates
Oil marketing companies revised the prices of commercial LPG gas cylinders on Tuesday (July 1, 2025), reducing the cost of a 19 kg commercial cylinder by ₹58.50. The new rates came into effect from July 1, bringing relief to commercial users such as hotels, restaurants, and businesses. While in Delhi, with the latest revision, the retail sale price of a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder was set at ₹1,665, down from the previous rate. There was, however, no change in the price of 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinders, which are widely used in households. The commercial LPG cylinder will cost ₹1,616 in Mumbai, ₹1,769 in Kolkata and ₹1,823.50 in Chennai. Meanwhile, a separate development, petrol pumps across the national capital notices warning against fueling End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) were seen pasted on display boards. The warning stated that "fuel will not be dispensed to end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) - 15-year-old petrol and 10-year-old diesel vehicles from July 1, 2025."Along with these notices, CCTV cameras and speakers were also installed at several fuel stations to monitor compliance and inform customers. On June 27, according to a latest research report by ICICI Bank, global crude oil prices are likely to see a downside, weighed down by the de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, soft demand, and increasing supply. On the demand side, the report suggests that if the negative sentiment regarding the trade war persists, it will result in depressed demand. Additionally, crude oil demand is expected to remain flat in 2025, coming in at relatively unchanged levels of 102.9mbpd as was seen in 2024, taking into account the subdued global growth momentum. On the supply side, the global supply of crude oil followed an upward trajectory on a sequential basis, led by higher production from OPEC, while non-OPEC supply remained fairly robust. "The physical markets recorded a net supply surplus for the fifth consecutive month of 1.6mbpd in May compared to 1.9mbpd recorded in April," ICICI Bank said. The demand showed a rise of 0.3mbpd to 102.6mbpd in May. However, this supply-demand equation was not adequate to match the supply of 104.2mbpd that is being driven by increasing output from OPEC. However, the report also highlights that the spike in crude prices in response to the Iran-Israel conflict was much lower than previous geopolitical events such as the Russia-Ukraine war, reflecting an oversupplied physical market that is prevailing at the current juncture.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Commercial LPG price slashed by ₹58.50 starting today; no change in domestic cylinder
Oil marketing companies revised the prices of commercial LPG gas cylinders on Tuesday, reducing the cost of a 19 kg commercial cylinder by ₹ 58.50. The new rates came into effect from July 1, bringing relief to commercial users such as hotels, restaurants, and businesses. However, the price of the 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder, commonly used in households, remains unchanged. (Pic used for representation)(Unsplash) While in Delhi, with the latest revision, the retail sale price of a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder was set at ₹ 1665, down from the previous rate. There was, however, no change in the price of 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinders, which are widely used in households. The commercial LPG cylinder will cost ₹ 1,616 in Mumbai, ₹ 1,769 in Kolkata and ₹ 1,823.50 in Chennai. Meanwhile, a separate development, petrol pumps across the national capital notices warning against fueling End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) were seen pasted on display boards. The warning stated that "fuel will not be dispensed to end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) - 15-year-old petrol and 10-year-old diesel vehicles from July 1, 2025." Along with these notices, CCTV cameras and speakers were also installed at several fuel stations to monitor compliance and inform customers. On June 27, according to a latest research report by ICICI Bank, global crude oil prices are likely to see a downside, weighed down by the de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, soft demand, and increasing supply. On the demand side, the report suggests that if the negative sentiment regarding the trade war persists, it will result in depressed demand. Additionally, crude oil demand is expected to remain flat in 2025, coming in at relatively unchanged levels of 102.9mbpd as was seen in 2024, taking into account the subdued global growth momentum. On the supply side, the global supply of crude oil followed an upward trajectory on a sequential basis, led by higher production from OPEC, while non-OPEC supply remained fairly robust. "The physical markets recorded a net supply surplus for the fifth consecutive month of 1.6mbpd in May compared to 1.9mbpd recorded in April," ICICI Bank said. The demand showed a rise of 0.3mbpd to 102.6mbpd in May. However, this supply-demand equation was not adequate to match the supply of 104.2mbpd that is being driven by increasing output from OPEC. However, the report also highlights that the spike in crude prices in response to the Iran-Israel conflict was much lower than previous geopolitical events such as the Russia-Ukraine war, reflecting an oversupplied physical market that is prevailing at the current juncture.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Europe's AI gigafactory push attracts 76 bids, EU tech chief says
Seventy-six companies have bid to develop Europe's artificial intelligence gigafactories, the EU's tech chief said on Monday, hailing a bigger than expected response to the bloc's push to catch up with the U.S. and China in this key technology. The European Commission made the announcement four months after it allocated 20 billion euros ($23 billion) in EU funding for the construction of four AI gigafactories across the bloc. Such facilities, in essence large-scale AI computing and data storage hubs, will be equipped with about 100,000 state-of-the-art AI chips. "We got 76 submissions proposing to set up AI gigafactories in 16 member states and across 60 different sites," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told a press conference. "And this exceeds far beyond our expectations and this showcases Europe's growing momentum and enthusiasm for innovating in AI in Europe," she said, declining to name the companies because of business confidentiality information. The EU executive said applicants included EU and non-EU companies, among them tech giants, data centre operators, telecoms providers, power suppliers and financial investors. "Together they have now indicated plans to acquire at least 3 million latest generation of AI processors (GPUs) in total," Virkkunen said. The Commission will launch an official call for setting up the AI gigafactories at the end of the year.
