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Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Jitin Prasada, presided over the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony of the BEDF Basmati and Organic Training Centre cum Demonstration Farm at Tanda Bijeshi, Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. The centre is a joint project of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF).

The centre is designed to provide practical demonstrations and technical support to farmers and other stakeholders. The proposed demonstration farm will cover notified Basmati varieties and technologies related to Basmati production, along with demonstrations on insect-pest and disease management, organic cultivation, organic inputs, Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Nutrient Management practices.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Prasada, said that Pilibhit has significant potential as a major Basmati-producing region. He said the establishment of the Basmati and Organic Training Centre would provide farmers with better access to training, quality seeds and organic inputs, while creating stronger linkages with export markets.

Chairman, APEDA, Shri Abhishek Dev, in his welcome address, said that the centre would provide farmers access to improved seeds, quality standards, testing facilities, packaging and export procedures. He said the demonstration farm would also enable farmers to gain practical knowledge of improved Basmati and organic cultivation practices.

Uttar Pradesh has an important position in India’s Basmati and organic agriculture ecosystem. The state is a prominent Basmati-producing state and a key contributor to Basmati exports. It is also among the leading states in organic production and ranks seventh in the country in terms of organic production and eighth in area under organic cultivation.

The centre is designed to provide practical demonstrations and technical support to farmers and other stakeholders. The proposed demonstration farm will cover notified Basmati varieties and technologies related to Basmati production, along with demonstrations on insect-pest and disease management, organic cultivation, organic inputs, Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Nutrient Management practices.

The facility will also support the All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Programme (AICRIP) through national Basmati trials for the evaluation and development of varieties suitable for the region.

A dedicated Seed Multiplication Centre will facilitate the availability of authentic and quality Basmati seed varieties to stakeholders. Its activities will include breeder seed production and multiplication of major Basmati varieties, including foundation seed, certified seed and truthful seed, as well as the availability of source seed for Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), seed multipliers and government agencies. Maintenance breeding work for purification of Basmati varieties will also be undertaken.

The centre will provide practical training in seed production to farmers and youth, with the objective of creating employment opportunities. It will also provide capacity building and handholding support to FPOs, entrepreneurs and startups for export of their produce.

Online and on-call technical support will be made available to farmers for field-related issues, along with technical assistance for state government extension workers. Training on the production of organic and bio-inputs will be undertaken with support from the National Centre for Organic & Natural Farming (NCONF). The centre will also provide training on the registration process for organic certification and related requirements.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, Shri Jitin Prasada, was the Chief Guest at the ceremony. Minister of Agriculture, Agriculture Education and Research, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Surya Pratap Sahi, was the Guest of Honour. The programme was attended by farmers, exporters, guests and other stakeholders, with approximately 8,000 participants.

An exhibition comprising 23 stalls was also organised as part of the programme, showcasing Basmati and organic products and the activities of participating organisations, including APEDA, BEDF, AIREA, NCOL, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), NABARD, Tea Board, Spices Board, Turmeric Board, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and the District Agriculture Department.

Through the initiative, APEDA will work with farmers, FPOs, exporters and other stakeholders to promote modern production practices, enhance quality and compliance, and facilitate greater access to international markets. The centre is aimed at strengthening linkages between Basmati production, organic farming and exports, and supporting greater participation of farmers and other stakeholders in the agri-export ecosystem.

Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan/Anushka Pandey

Official source

[Read the original PIB release](https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2308493)

Source attribution: Press Information Bureau, Government of India.