Facilitated the first export consignment of 25 metric tones of Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged Joha Rice from Assam to the United Kingdom and Italy.

Joha rice, an indigenous aromatic variety from Assam, received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in2017. Known for its distinct fragrance, fine grain texture and rich taste, the rice is gaining recognition inpremium domestic and international markets.

In Assam, Joha rice is cultivated across about 21,662 hectares with an estimated production ofapproximately 43,298 metric tonnes during FY 2024–25. The major producing districts include Nagaon,Baksa, Goalpara, Sivasagar, Majuli, Chirang and Golaghat, providing strong potential for expandingexports while enhancing farmers’ income.

APEDA has been actively promoting the global presence of Joha rice. Earlier, the Authority facilitated theexport of 1 metric tonne of GI-tagged Joha rice to Vietnam and 2 metric tonnes to five Middle Easterncountries — Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

The export consignment was flagged off by Atul Bora, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Assam, in the presence of Aruna Rajoria (IAS), Agriculture Production Commissioner, Government of Assam; Virendra Mittal (IAS), State Project Director, ARIAS Society; Dr. Uday Praveen (IAS), Director of Agriculture, Government of Assam; Saurabh Srivastava, APEDA official; along with officials from the Plant Quarantine Department, the Department of Agriculture, and the APEDA Regional Office, Guwahati.

The export is being undertaken by APEDA-registered exporter M/s Safe Agritrade Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata. The consignment has been processed and packed at Pratik Agro Food Processing, Guwahati, Assam.
This initiative is part of APEDA’s continued efforts to promote GI-tagged agricultural products from India and strengthen market linkages between producers and international buyers, while expanding agricultural exports from the North Eastern Region and ensuring better price realization for farmers.