News Capsule: Demand Grows for Separate Basmati Board
24-Feb-2026 10:07 AM
News Capsule: Demand Grows for Separate Basmati Board
★ The Punjab Rice Millers Exporters Association and the All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) have urged the Prime Minister and the Union Minister to establish a dedicated statutory board for Basmati rice.
★ The associations have called for Basmati to be delinked from the control of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export ★ Development Authority (APEDA), stating that the authority lacks the mandate and enforcement capacity to effectively manage GI protection, research, and regulatory standards at the national level.
★ Both bodies emphasized the need to safeguard India’s Geographical Indication (GI) tag and the international prestige of Basmati rice. They said a separate board would help stabilise farmers’ incomes, promote scientific farming practices, and strengthen India’s global brand image.
★ India exports around 6 million tonnes of Basmati rice annually, valued at approximately ₹55,000 crore.