A public notice issued by Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Standing Committee on Commerce was published in the national dailies during October, 2010 for inviting views / suggestions / comments from experts / institutions / organizations on the subject of ‘Export Promotion Schemes pertaining to Agricultural & Processed Food Products’.

The RKVY Project prepared a Proposal on “Promotional Strategy for Export of Bengal Aromatic Rice (Gobindabhog and Tulaipanji)”, which was duly forwarded by the Vice-Chancellor and submitted to the Standing Committee on Commerce on 29 October, 2010.

The Proposal includes the salient strategies:

• Development of Export Policy of Bengal Aromatic Rice (‘Gobindabhog’ and Tulaipanji’)
• Promotion of market-driven commercial cultivation along with by buy-back system like ‘well-established value-chain system for Basmati’ in Northern India
• Commercial introduction programme in International / Global Trade Fair
• Strengthening of research efforts for Bengal Aromatic Rice
• Establishment of a new ‘Bengal Aromatic Rice Agri Export Zone’ in West Bengal

A total of 11 meetings of the Standing Committee on Commerce were held during the period from 14 February to 25 July, 2011 for consideration of the proposals submitted, oral presentations, etc. as well as for finalization of 98th Report on “Export of Foodgrains– Premium Non-Basmati Rice & Wheat.”

The Dean, Post Graduate Studies made an oral presentation of the said proposal before the Standing Committee on 2 May, 2011. He touched upon various aspects of export prospects for rice, such as: “The University is researching on the Gobindabhog and Tulaipanji variety, which is a premium non-Basmati rice. Most aromatic varieties of rice are low in productivity and hence need to fetch almost double the price of normal varieties to be remunerative to farmers''. (para 3.5.3, p. 27).

The Report on “Export of Foodgrains– Premium Non-Basmati Rice & Wheat.” prepared by the Standing Committee on Commerce was presented in the RajyaShabha on 11 August, 2011 and subsequently accepted for future course of action on the part of the Government of India.

“The Committee observed that India produces some fine quality non-Basmati varieties also such as SonaMasuri, Matta and Ponni, Gobindabhog and Tulaipanji etc. These varieties are very good quality rice and are bound to be appreciated by international buyers. Further, the Committee observed that from the year 2002-2007, India was exporting some quantities of wheat and non-Basmati rice, which suddenly stopped afterwards. This will cause confusion in the world market and India’s absence will pave the way for competing countries to step in.” (para 4.3.5, p. 36)

“The Committee feels that there are many States in the country that produce various premium varieties of rice. For export of rice, like any other commodity, foreign buyers have their own parameters in terms of hygiene, quality, use of insecticides and pesticides, etc. Accordingly, the Committee recommends that the Government should come out with a planned policy whereby, all types of premium rice varieties should be considered for testing and research and those varieties that fulfill international norms may be encouraged for export.” (point 13, p. 44)