Srinagar, : A Kashmiri farmer Zafar Ahmad Bhat was felicitated during Bharat International Rice Conference at New Delhi for his efforts in preserving the iconic, highly fragrant MushkBudji rice variety.
Sagam in Anantnag is celebrated as a major centre and model village for growing this high-altitude, short-grain aromatic rice and was awarded G.I tag during 2023.
In this International Rice Conference, Jammu & Kashmir featured alongside other prominent agrarian states along with Odisha, Assam, and Telangana to highlight indigenous Geographical Indication (GI) and specialty rice varieties. The main objective is to establish robust market linkages to transition these niche local varieties onto mainstream international retail shelves.
Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is represented by Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Department and Director Agriculture Kashmir, Sartaj Ahmad Shah is attending the conference to engage with premier institutions like the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). The conference brought together global buyers, policymakers, researchers, and exporters to highlight India’s prominence in the global rice sector.
