500 farmers sensitised to produce pesticide residue free basmati

The event was organized by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the ministry of commerce in coordination with All India Rice Exporter Association (AIREA) at Kotkapura in Faridkot district

Around 500 farmers on Thursday took part in a workshop aimed to produce pesticide residue free basmati to enhance the export of the aromatic rice.

500 farmers sensitised to produce pesticide residue free basmati

The event was organized by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the ministry of commerce in coordination with All India Rice Exporter Association (AIREA) at Kotkapura in Faridkot district.

Dr Ritesh Sharma, principal scientist, APEDA, said that India earns maximum foreign revenue by export of rice and “the quality of the basmati produced in Kotkapura is excellent.”

“We earned ₹38,542 crore by the export of Basmati during 2022-23 in 150 countries. We have very good demand from the globe, but due to excessive use of pesticides, the residue defected in basmati consignment affect the export. We are providing training to the farmers to produce pesticide residue free basmati with the support of the state governments,” Sharma said.

Dr Brajendra, principal scientist from Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, spoke about the soil health. He has demonstrated a rapid soil testing kit developed by him and trained the farmers for soil testing in Kotkapura.

Vinod Kaul, executive director, AIREA, explained about the export scenario and challenges in basmati export. He asked the farmers to use pesticides only after consultation with scientists. “Right dose, right time and right pesticide need to be sprayed only when it recommended,” Kaul said.