India Builds New Basmati and Organic Farming Hub in Pilibhit to Support Farmers and Exports

India is developing a dedicated Basmati and Organic Training Centre-cum-Demonstration Farm in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, aimed at improving seed quality, farmer training, organic cultivation and export readiness in one of the country’s important Basmati-growing regions.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada laid the foundation stone for the facility at Tanda Bijeshi in Pilibhit on September 9, 2026.

The centre is being developed jointly by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF).

Practical Training for Basmati Farmers

Unlike a conventional classroom-based agricultural training centre, the Pilibhit facility will include a demonstration farm where farmers can see improved cultivation practices being applied under field conditions.

The centre will demonstrate notified Basmati varieties, along with techniques for controlling insects, pests and diseases.

Farmers will also receive training in organic cultivation, preparation and use of organic inputs, Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Nutrient Management.

According to Jitin Prasada, Pilibhit has considerable potential to develop as a major Basmati-producing region. The new centre is intended to give farmers better access to technical knowledge, quality seeds and organic inputs while establishing stronger connections with export markets.

Quality Seeds at the Centre of the Project

One of the most important functions of the facility will be strengthening the Basmati seed system.

A dedicated Seed Multiplication Centre is planned to support the production of breeder, foundation and certified seeds.

Maintenance breeding will also be undertaken to preserve the purity and characteristics of recognised Basmati varieties.

Farmers and rural youth will receive practical training in seed production, creating the possibility of developing local seed-production enterprises while improving the availability of reliable planting material in the region.

Pilibhit Joins National Basmati Research Network

The centre will also have a research role extending beyond Pilibhit.

It has been designated to participate in the All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Programme, enabling national-level Basmati varietal trials to be conducted at the site.

Once operational, Pilibhit is expected to become the third AICRP centre within Uttar Pradesh’s Basmati GI zone, joining Nagina in Bijnor and the BEDF centre at Modipuram.

This will allow researchers to test new Basmati varieties under the agro-climatic conditions prevailing in the Pilibhit region and identify cultivars suitable for future commercial production.

Seven-Acre Basmati and Organic Farming Campus

The project follows the formal transfer of approximately seven acres of land for the centre through a 70-year lease arrangement involving APEDA, the Uttar Pradesh Department of Agriculture and the state government.

Plans for the campus include an auditorium, laboratory, conference facilities, storage areas for organic farming inputs and a museum and gallery devoted to Basmati rice and organic agriculture.

The facility is expected to serve farmers not only from Uttar Pradesh but also neighbouring Uttarakhand.

Helping Farmers Meet Export Standards

Training will extend beyond cultivation itself.

APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev said farmers will receive information on improved seeds, quality standards, testing, packaging and export procedures.

This is significant because Basmati intended for overseas markets must meet stringent requirements relating to grain quality, pesticide residues, traceability and importing-country regulations.

The centre therefore seeks to connect improvements on the farm directly with the requirements of international markets.

Support for FPOs and Agricultural Startups

The facility will also provide capacity building and technical assistance to Farmer Producer Organisations, entrepreneurs and agricultural startups seeking to market or export their produce.

Farmers will be able to access online and telephone-based technical assistance for field problems, while agricultural extension personnel will also receive technical support.

This could give the centre a wider role as a regional knowledge hub rather than limiting its activities to farmers who physically attend training programmes.

Organic Certification and Bio-Inputs

Organic farming will form the second major pillar of the project.

With assistance from the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming, the centre will conduct training on the preparation and use of organic and biological agricultural inputs.

Farmers will also receive guidance on the process of registration and organic certification, an important requirement for producers seeking access to organised domestic and international organic-food markets.

Uttar Pradesh already has a significant presence in India’s organic agriculture sector. According to the Commerce Ministry release, the state ranks seventh nationally in organic production and eighth in area under organic cultivation.

Basmati Remains a Major Agricultural Export

The project assumes greater significance because Basmati rice remains one of India’s most valuable agricultural exports.

Official figures show that India exported approximately 6.5 million metric tonnes of Basmati rice worth $5.67 billion during 2025–26.

Indian Basmati has established substantial markets across the Middle East, Europe and North America, making improvements in quality, traceability and sustainable cultivation increasingly important for maintaining India’s position in global trade.

From Production to Export Readiness

The Pilibhit project brings several stages of the Basmati value chain into a single institutional framework — research, varietal trials, quality seed production, farmer training, organic cultivation, certification and export preparation.

That integration could be particularly valuable for smaller farmers, who often have limited access to improved seeds, specialised technical advice and information about international market requirements.

Rather than focusing only on increasing rice production, the centre is designed to help farmers produce higher-quality, traceable and export-ready Basmati while encouraging environmentally sustainable farming practices.

For Pilibhit, the establishment of the BEDF centre could therefore strengthen its position not simply as another rice-producing district but as an emerging Basmati research, seed-production, organic farming and export-support hub for northern India.

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