|
The recently held Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2025 here in the national capital's Bharat Mandapam had brought together thousands of farmers, exporters, and buyers to showcase India's rich rice diversity and explore new global opportunities. It opened a window to the world for Indian farmers to exhibit and promote their rice varieties, of which many were GI varieties.
The two-day mega rice conference was inaugurated and led by the farmers, reflective of their great importance in India's agricultural ecosystem. BIRC 2025, held on October 30-31, saw participation of over 5,000 farmers, over 3,500 exporters and millers, and international buyers. All stakeholder departments came together to showcase Indian rice to the world. Over 1,000 varieties of Indian rice were showcased -- each representing the growing ambition of India's farmers to take their heritage grains global. Ajay Kumar Singh, Director at Farmers Producer Organisation (FPI), said, "We have adamchini GI rice. We got to know that a big rice conference is happening at the Bharat Mandapa. After coming here, we are looking at avenues to export our rice. We have met several rice buyers at BIRC 2025, and they have collected our (phone) numbers." He added that his rice is now marketed only in Varanasi and other eastern Uttar Pradesh districts, but with this BIRC 2025, "I think it will be marketed across India and abroad, and also through e-commerce platforms." Janardan, a farmer from Kerala's Kannur, said, this event helped his GI rice get global attention. "Our rice doesn't need fertilizer for cultivation, and it is produced in marshy lands. Our various variety is very premium in terms of price. The best part is our rice has immense nutritional elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, which is why it sells at a premium...We currently export our rice abroad through APEDA, he told ANI. A member of an FPO from Kerala said, "It (BIRC 2025) helps us meet a lot of people, potential buyers, and is a common meeting place. We get a good exposure, to which countries we can export..." The rice, again a GI variety, she had exhibited at the BIRC 2025, has medicinal properties. "People are not much aware of it (our GI rice), and its qualities. We are projecting it here," she added. Another FPO member from Kerala, talking to ANI, echoed that BIRC has been a "very good exposure." "It's a very good exposure, because many clients are coming, enquiries are coming," he said.From Jammu and Kashmir, Shabir Ahmed Baba, a farmer from Anantnag, said BIRC 2025 helped them to get linked with the export markets. "APEDA is trying that our rice goes to Japan," he said. Their's is a non-basmati rice and had received GI tag. He has signed a 2000 tonne special variety scented rice contract. Suresh Majhi, a farmer from Koraput, Odisha, said, "People from outside India are consuming our rice now. Earlier, it was limited to India only. It (BIRC 2025) will benefit both India and its farmers." During the mega rice conference, preparing and showcasing rice-based foreign dishes out of indigenous Indian rice varieties had attracted lots of traction. Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) National President Prem Garg had asserted that India is setting its sights on expanding its dominance in the global rice trade, aiming to capture up to 55-60 per cent of the world market share. (ANI)
|
