New BEDF Center Unlocks UP’s Basmati Export Potential

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, laid the foundation stone for the BEDF Basmati and Organic Training Centre cum Demonstration Farm at Tanda Bijeshi in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. A joint initiative between the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF), the facility is designed to deliver technical support and practical training to local farmers. The center will focus on cultivating notified Basmati varieties, implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and scaling organic farming practices. Officials, including APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev, emphasized that the infrastructure will provide farmers with high-quality seeds, testing labs, and direct connections to international trade channels, unlocking Pilibhit’s potential as a premier Basmati export hub. The facility will advance national agricultural research by supporting the All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Programme through dedicated Basmati trials and a Seed Multiplication Centre for breeder, foundation, and certified seed production. Beyond seed supply, the center will offer capacity-building programs for Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and agri-startups, while facilitating organic certifications in collaboration with the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming. Attended by Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Sahi and roughly 8,000 farmers and industry stakeholders, the event also featured 23 exhibition stalls from major organizations like AIREA, NABARD, NCOL, and DGFT, reinforcing a multi-agency push to strengthen India’s agri-export ecosystem.