While the export of basmati (long-grain aromatic rice) may have increased by 25% in the first quarter of 2022–2023 compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, basmati traders are concerned that the export joy may not last long because the UAE and other Middle Eastern nations have decided to implement strict standards for maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides as of September 1.
Strict testing requirements have already been put in place by the US and EU for the import of Indian basmati.
When pesticides are used correctly and in accordance with good agricultural practice, an MRL is the highest level of pesticide residue that is legally permitted in, on, or in contact with food or feed.
Exporters claim that they were able to obtain notification from the Punjabi government prohibiting the use of 10 pesticides beginning on August 12 this year until the crop is harvested. They are now requesting assistance from the state government to pressure the federal government to outlaw these pesticides in all states that grow basmati in order to protect the basmati export industry, which has been suffering due to the strict MLR norms' rejection of consignments for basmati.
However, according to experts, as agriculture is a state-level concern, it is the duty of the state governments, exporters, and farmers to collaborate in order to make basmati pesticide-free, rather than relying on the Center for this.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr. A. K. Gupta (retired), the former director of the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF), revealed that Punjab and Haryana account for 80% of basmati exports, while the remaining states such as Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and others only account for 20%. BEDF was established by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which is under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. A farmer education program has been running for the past five years in both of the major exporting states, and now is the time to scale it up, he said, adding that all the states that grow basmati need to create some sort of model to preserve the crop free of chemical use.
As agriculture is a state responsibility, Gupta stated that "here we need to practice better agriculture rather than depending on a policy." He added that "as agriculture is a state subject, primarily the state governments in association with exporters and farmers must work on a model to sensitize all stakeholders to the problems of usage of chemicals in the crop."
According to Gupta, farmers need to be taught how to grow new types of basmati that have a high yield and are disease-resistant. This may decrease the crop's use of chemicals.
Even a ban on pesticides won't help, according to a senior officer in the Punjab agriculture department, because farmers may still get these chemicals from any other state where they are legal to use.
The former BEDF director added that because basmati is a product of a particular region, it has distinct properties that qualify it for the GI (geographical indication) label and make it a type of trademark on the global market, where demand is constantly high. "All we need to increase its export is a little decent farming practice in it."
The area, which spans seven states and is situated in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) beneath the slopes of the Himalayas, is as follows: The GI area includes Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Uttarakhand, Western UP (30 districts), and Uttarakhand.
In the past three years, India has exported basmati rice worth $12 billion, with $4.3 billion in 2019–20, $4.02 billion in 2020–21, and $3.5 billion in 2021–22.
The government should improve the efficiency of the Hi-tech Modern Pesticide Testing Laboratory in Amritsar to check the pesticide residue at the farm level, according to Ashok Sethi, director of the Punjab Rice Millers & Exporters' Association and a major exporter of basmati rice. This will help exporters test the residue level at the beginning itself and can also sensitize farmers to the pesticide problems.
The exporters are having a lot of issues since basmati rice shipments from India are being refused or returned owing to pesticide residues, he claimed, adding that "if we had a lab here, we could examine it before exporting."
According to recent reports from the commerce ministry, basmati rice exports increased by 25.54% from April through June of this year to over Rs 9,160 crore ($1.15 billion).
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