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Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday described agriculture as the "soul of Indian civilization" as he announced that New Delhi will host the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC 2025) at Bharat Mandapam on October 30 and 31.
In a video message, Goyal said the event would be the world's largest rice industry gathering, bringing together farmers, exporters, global buyers, policymakers and other stakeholders. "Agriculture has always been the soul of our civilisation, with rice as the pride of our farmers. The BIRC 2025, Bharat International Rice Conference, the world's largest rice event with farmers, global buyers and stakeholders brought together under one roof, is being held at the Bharat Mandapam on October 30th and 31st, this year. This will be a symbol of India's Rice diversity, quality standards and also strengthen business-to-business linkages," he said. Organised by the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, the two-day conference is being described as the biggest global platform for the rice sector. It will bring together farmers, exporters, buyers, policymakers and industry leaders on a single platform. Goyal said the conference would also support India's goal of doubling agricultural and agri-based exports in the next five years. "I am sure this will also accelerate our vision to double agri and agri-based exports in the next 5 years, with trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his promise that our farmers' welfare will be primary to our trade negotiations and that we will never compromise with the interests of our farmers," he said. India has emerged as the world's top rice producer with a record output of 145 million metric tons, surpassing China. Today, India commands over 40 per cent of the global rice trade, exporting to 172 countries, making it a key pillar of global food security. Urging stakeholders to think beyond numbers and focus on building credibility, Goyal said, "So let us friends, dream big, and plan boldly for the future. Let us go beyond the 'largest exporter' tag towards being the most trusted Global brand. The way forward will be to identify and support the promotion of value-added innovative rice products, and enable new market access." "Let us all together, contribute to Viksit Bharat 2047. Let us all contribute to a better future for our farmers. I wish you great success," he added. (ANI)
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