APEDA to set up basmati, organic training centre in Pilibhit.

Pilibhit: The transfer of 7 acres of land to the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) at govt agriculture farm in Tanda Bijesi village has cleared the way for a basmati and organic training centre and demonstration farm in the district.The project, estimated around Rs 15 crore, aims to train farmers in premium basmati cultivation, seed production, exports and organic farming. Construction, to be carried out by the Public Works Department, is expected to be completed within a year.Union minister of state for commerce and industry Jitin Prasada, also BJP MP from Pilibhit, said the project, initiated in June last year, was awaiting land transfer to begin work.“A key feature will be an AI-based satellite survey of basmati crops to map cultivation area, identify varieties and generate data for export estimates,” he said.At a land transfer event on Tuesday, Prasada said the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF) centre, the second in UP after Meerut, will cater to farmers from neighbouring states, including Uttarakhand and Delhi.APEDA chairman Abhishek Dev said the facility will include a seed unit, an auditorium, a museum of 45 notified basmati varieties, and an NABL-accredited lab to test for DNA, pesticide residues, and heavy metals.BEDF aims to train over 50,000 farmers by the end of 2025–26 across seven basmati-producing states, said joint director Dr Ritesh Sharma.