State Joha producers hit

State Joha producers hit

By Ajit Patowary
GUWAHATI, June 18 – The Government of India ban on the export of non-Basmati rice has landed State’s aromatic Joha rice producers in a tough situation. The Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS) has therefore requested Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Manishankar Aiyar to initiate measures for lifting the ban from this variety of rice produced only in Assam. FASS is a non-Government organization (NGO) operating throughout the world to promote NE Indian cause.Last year, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) arranged export of 17.5 MTs of State’s organic Joha rice to Switzerland through the exporters’ firm M/S Sunstar Overseas Ltd. This year, the State produced 60 MTs of organic Joha with the involvement of 150 farmers of Sonitpur, Lakhimpur and Udalguri districts.These farmers tied up with the exporters for another three to four years with the latters agreeing to pay the certification cost and to bear the miscellaneous expenses for exporting this variety of rice. The farmers also secured the NOP certificates mandatory for exporting organic products to the USA. But the ban changed the entire scenario.The Union Government imposed the ban on export of non-Basmati category of rice in mid-October 2007, though it was relaxed for certain countries due to some special considerations on occasions.In its memorandum to the Union Minister, the FASS said that since Joha was grouped under non-Basmati category, its export got forbidden. As per Union Government records, there are only two categories of rice in the country – Basmati and non-Basmati.Joha has a number of varieties like Tulasi Joha (which is similar to Kaljira of Bangladesh), Khorika Joha, Suagmoni Joha etc. While the price of other varieties of non-Basmati rice in the State ranges from Rs 11 to Rs 22 per kg depending on their quality, the price of Joha starts from Rs 25 and goes up to Rs 38 in Guwahati. Joha rice is the expensive variety and has no shortage in the domestic market. For, it is not the common man’s rice and even those who consume this variety of rice do not do it regularly, said Bidyananda Barkakoty of the FASS Guwahati chapter. He also underlined the need to test the aromatic and nutritious qualities of the Joha varieties of rice.The traditional belief in Assam is that Joha varieties of rice help growth of finer qualities in those who consume them regularly, he said.The Union Government ban on the export of non-Basmati category of rice has also created problems for State’s other varieties of rice like Bora Chaul, which resembles the sticky rice of China, Komal Chaul, which is used for cereals etc. For, these varieties of rice also fall under the non-Basmati category, said the FASS in its memorandum to the DoNER Minister.It further said that NE India might practically be called the motherland of rice. Probably, it is here where the Neolithic rice revolution started some time around 6000 BC and spread even to China. With high quality milling and good packaging, the Assam Joha has the potential of competing with any other premium quality rice in the world.Especially, organic Joha rice has tremendous potential in the world market. With such potential, if this variety of rice is cultivated in large areas and marketed world wide another success story, like the small tea growing movement, can be written in the State in the days to come. This will undoubtedly help Assam prosper and perhaps solve many of its social problems largely, said the NGO.According to available information, APEDA has contacted the Union Commerce Ministry on the issue and the Ministry has shown eagerness to help the State farmers.Barkakoty while talking to this correspondent made an appeal to the Assam Government and leading organizations of the State to come forward for wresting registration for the State’s above varieties of rice under the GI Registration regulation. Source: assam tribune