The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has facilitated the first export consignment of Geographical Indication tagged Joha rice from Assam to the United Kingdom and Italy, marking a significant milestone for agricultural exports from the North Eastern region.
The consignment of 25 metric tonnes was dispatched on March 12, 2026 in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Government of Assam.
Joha rice is an indigenous aromatic rice variety from Assam that received the Geographical Indication tag in 2017. Known for its distinctive fragrance, fine grain texture and rich taste, the rice has increasingly attracted demand in premium domestic and international markets.
In Assam, Joha rice is cultivated across approximately 21,662 hectares with an estimated production of around 43,298 metric tonnes during the financial year 2024 to 2025. Major producing districts include Nagaon, Baksa, Goalpara, Sivasagar, Majuli, Chirang and Golaghat. The crop is considered to have strong potential for expanding export opportunities while improving income prospects for farmers in the region.
The export consignment was flagged off by Atul Bora, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Assam. The event was attended by Aruna Rajoria, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Government of Assam; Virendra Mittal, State Project Director of ARIAS Society; Uday Praveen, 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 in Guwahati.
The shipment is being exported by APEDA registered exporter M s Safe Agritrade Pvt Ltd, Kolkata. Processing and packaging of the consignment was carried out at Pratik Agro Food Processing in Guwahati, Assam.
APEDA has been actively promoting the global presence of Joha rice in international markets. Earlier, the authority facilitated the export of one metric tonne of GI tagged Joha rice to Vietnam and two metric tonnes to five Middle Eastern countries including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
The initiative forms part of APEDA’s broader strategy to promote Geographical Indication tagged agricultural products from India, strengthen market linkages between producers and global buyers and expand agricultural exports from the North Eastern region while ensuring better price realisation for farmers.
