New Delhi, April 30 (IANS). The government said on Thursday that it has been decided to give about 7 acres of land on a 70-year lease for setting up an Organic Training Center and Demo Farm at Tanda Bijaisi in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh.
The center will have other facilities including auditorium, museum and gallery on Basmati and organic farming, conference rooms, labs and storage space to keep items required for organic farming, an official statement said.
This center will help in training farmers and enhancing their capacity. Besides, it will also become an important resource center for agricultural experts and students.
This will be the first such center in the country, where training and demonstration of both traditional and organic Basmati farming will be done.
Due to its location, farmers of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand will benefit from it.
The center has also been made an ‘All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP)’ center for testing Basmati at the national level, making Pilibhit the third such center in the Basmati region of Uttar Pradesh.
With this, new Basmati seeds can be tested and their suitability evaluated according to the region.
Additionally, Union Minister of State Jitin Prasad launched India’s first AI-based Basmati Paddy Survey Project (2026-2028). This project will be implemented in collaboration with APEDA and All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA).
Under this project, about 40 lakh hectare area will be covered, data will be collected from more than 1.5 lakh places and more than 5 lakh farmers will be included in it.
Its objective is to improve correct assessment of crops, identification of varieties, scientific advice and export planning.
Exports of Basmati rice, a GI (Geographical Indication) product of India, are estimated to be worth $5.67 billion in 2025-26, with the quantity being around 65 lakh metric tonnes.
The sector contributes significantly to India’s agricultural exports and has strong demand in markets such as the Middle East, Europe and North America.
–IANS
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