New Delhi, March 13 (IANS) The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has facilitated the first export consignment of 25 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Joha rice from Assam to the United Kingdom and Italy, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday.

The consignment was dispatched on March 12 in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Government of Assam.

Officials said the region holds strong potential for expanding exports while improving farmers’ incomes.

APEDA has been actively promoting the global presence of Joha rice.

Earlier, the authority facilitated exports of one metric tonne of the GI-tagged rice to Vietnam and two metric tonnes to five Middle Eastern countries like Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

The consignment was flagged off by Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora in the presence of Agriculture Production Commissioner Aruna Rajoria, State Project Director of ARIAS Society Virendra Mittal, Director of Agriculture Uday Praveen and APEDA official Saurabh Srivastava, along with officials from the Plant Quarantine Department and the APEDA Regional Office in Guwahati.

The export is being undertaken by APEDA-registered exporter Safe Agritrade Pvt Ltd, while the consignment was processed and packed at Pratik Agro Food Processing.

The ministry stated that officials said the initiative is part of APEDA’s efforts to promote India’s GI-tagged agricultural products globally, strengthen market linkages between producers and international buyers, and expand agricultural exports from the North Eastern Region while ensuring better price realisation for farmers.

Joha rice is an indigenous aromatic rice variety from Assam — received the Geographical Indication status in 2017. Known for its distinct fragrance, fine grain texture and rich taste, the variety is increasingly gaining recognition in premium domestic and international markets.

In Assam, Joha rice is cultivated across around 21,662 hectares, with an estimated production of about 43,298 metric tonnes during FY 2024–25. Major producing districts include Nagaon, Baksa, Goalpara, Sivasagar, Majuli, Chirang and Golaghat.

–IANS

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