New Delhi: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, facilitated the first export consignment of 25 metric tonnes of Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged Joha rice from Assam to the UK and Italy.
The consignment was dispatched on Thursday, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, government of Assam, according to an official statement.
Joha rice, an indigenous aromatic variety from Assam, received the GI tag in 2017. Known for its distinctive fragrance, fine grain texture, and rich taste, the variety is gaining recognition in premium domestic and international markets.
The rice is cultivated across about 21,662 hectares in Assam with an estimated production of around 43,298 metric tonnes during FY 2024-25. Major producing districts include Nagaon, Baksa, Goalpara, Sivasagar, Majuli, Chirang, and Golaghat. Officials said the crop has strong potential to expand exports while improving farmers’ income.
APEDA has been promoting Joha rice in global markets. Earlier, the authority facilitated the export of one metric tonne of GI-tagged Joha rice to Vietnam and two metric tonnes to five Middle Eastern countries – Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.
Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora flagged off the export consignment. The event was attended by 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 Agriculture Department.
The export is being undertaken by Safe Agritrade Pvt. Ltd., an APEDA-registered exporter based in Kolkata. The consignment was processed and packed at Pratik Agro Food Processing in Guwahati.
Officials said the initiative forms part of APEDA’s efforts to promote GI-tagged agricultural products from India, strengthen market linkages between producers and global buyers, and expand agricultural exports from the North Eastern Region while ensuring better price realisation for farmers.
