Majuli (Assam) [India], June 28 : Majuli, the river island district in Assam, has marked a significant milestone as its indigenous organic red bao paddy makes its debut in the global market.
In a historic development, the first consignment of this unique variety of rice has been formally exported to countries in Central Asia and Europe, bringing smiles to the faces of Majuli's farming community.
The export initiative has been spearheaded by the Majuli Agro Organic Farmer Producer Company Limited, under the Assam Department of Horticulture and Food Processing.
With full cooperation from the Majuli District Agriculture Department, IVC Agrovet Private Limited collected the paddy and transported it to Haryana. From there, it will be further distributed across various Indian states and exported to international destinations.
The official flag-off ceremony took place at the FPC premises in Pokajora Tiniali, where 267 metric tonnes of organic red bao paddy were dispatched to Mumbai as the first step in the export journey. Notably, this rice was cultivated without the use of any chemical fertilisers, pesticides, or herbicides--upholding the ecological integrity of Majuli's farmlands.
The ceremonial event was graced by several dignitaries, including Majuli MLA Bhuban Gam, Deputy Commissioner Ratul Chandra Pathak, Superintendent of Police Vivekananda Das, and Director of Horticulture and Food Processing Nripen Das. They formally inaugurated the export by waving the green flag to the transport vehicle carrying the consignment.
Speaking to ANI, Gautom Phukan, General Manager, IVC AGROVET PVT. LTD said, "We are representing a company called IVC AgroVet, and today marks the flag-off ceremony for our product's first consignment. This shipment is being sent to the northern part of India for processing activities. The initiative is part of our export promotion efforts as well as to meet domestic market requirements. This entire process is being supported by the local administration, the Agriculture Department, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India."
"The commodity we have procured here, along with my team, is the result of nearly one year of groundwork. The entire setup and process took around two years, during which we worked closely with farmers in Majuli. These farmers have worked extremely hard to cultivate and supply this indigenous variety of paddy, which is known for its high nutritional value," he added.