The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has facilitated the first export consignment of 25 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Joha Rice from Assam to the United Kingdom and Italy.
The consignment was dispatched on 12 March 2026 in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Government of Assam.
Joha Rice: Indigenous Aromatic Rice Variety From Assam
Joha Rice, an indigenous aromatic rice variety from Assam, received the Geographical Indication tag in 2017. Known for its distinctive fragrance, fine grain texture and rich taste, Joha Rice has increasingly gained recognition in premium domestic and international markets.
The growing demand for Joha Rice reflects the rising global interest in specialty and GI-tagged agricultural products from India.
In Assam, Joha Rice is cultivated across approximately 21,662 hectares, with an estimated production of around 43,298 metric tonnes during FY 2024–25.
The major districts producing Joha Rice include Nagaon, Baksa, Goalpara, Sivasagar, Majuli, Chirang and Golaghat. These regions have strong potential to scale up exports of rice, while also contributing to enhanced income opportunities for farmers involved in its cultivation.
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APEDA has been actively working to expand the international footprint of Joha through export facilitation and market development initiatives.
Earlier, the authority supported the export of 1 metric tonne of GI-tagged Joha Rice to Vietnam, as well as 2 metric tonnes to five Middle Eastern countries – Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
These efforts have helped introduce Joha to new global markets and strengthen the positioning of GI-tagged Indian agricultural products abroad.
The export consignment of Joha Rice was flagged off by Atul Bora, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Assam.
The event was attended by senior officials including Aruna Rajoria (IAS), Agriculture Production Commissioner, Government of Assam; Virendra Mittal (IAS), State Project Director of the ARIAS Society; Uday Praveen (IAS), Director of Agriculture, Government of Assam; and Saurabh Srivastava, an official from APEDA.
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Representatives from the Plant Quarantine Department, the Department of Agriculture and the APEDA Regional Office in Guwahati were also present.
The export of Joha is being undertaken by APEDA-registered exporter Safe Agritrade Pvt. Ltd., based in Kolkata. The consignment has been processed and packed at Pratik Agro Food Processing in Guwahati, Assam.
The initiative forms part of APEDA’s broader strategy to promote GI-tagged agricultural products from India and strengthen global market linkages between producers and international buyers.
APEDA aims to boost agricultural trade from the North Eastern Region while ensuring improved price realisation and market opportunities for farmers cultivating this unique aromatic rice variety.
