Iran stops import of Basmati rice, farmers worried

Farmers in Punjab are a worried lot as Iran stops import of Indian Basmati after a government laboratory in Iran detects traces of arsenic, cadmium and lead in the rice exported to it a few days back. Farmers in Punjab increased the area under basmati from 3.75 lakh hectares to 6.5 lakh hectares this year because of the good price availed for the crop.