Basmati Rice by Azhar Bhatti

BASMATI RICE Basmati was identified in 1926 from village Kolo Tarar in Distt Hafizabad in Punjab, Pakistan The first variety Basmati-370 was registered in1933 by Kala Shah Kaku Rice Research Station, Distt Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan

HIMALAYAS WATER

FLOOD PLAINS OF PUNJAB

MAP OF GROWING REGIONS Rice growing Indus valley civilization-2600B.C Basmati-Centuries old-Folk lore Aromatic rice Outcome of a combination of soil, water, weather & farmer practices

BASMATI DISTRICTS Name Area in (000)Hect Lahore 31 Gujrat 52 Nankana Sahib 81 Jhang 99 Sheikhupura 158 Toba Tek Singh 32 Hafizabad Faisalabad 36 Gujranwala 167 Khushab 19 Narowal 97 Sargodha 50 Sialkot 182 Mandi Baha-u-Din 89

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Rice growing Indus valley civilization-2600B.C Basmati-Centuries old-Folk lore Aromatic rice Outcome of a combination of soil, water, weather & farmer practices

LINK TO ORIGIN The aroma and quality of grain linked to origin The combination only found in Punjab Aroma and quality vanish outside specific area

BASMATI PRODUCTION 2007 2008 2009 Total Annual crop MMT/Bill$ MMT/Bill$ MMT/Bill$ 2.5/1.0 2.45/1.17 2.6/2.4 Traditional Variety 0.08/0.01 0.08/0.12 0.08/0.16 Evolved Variety 2.42/1.37 2.37/1.05 2.52/2.24

EXPORTS 2007 2008 2009 Total Annual Basmati crop MMT/Bill$ MMT/Bill$ MMT/Bill$ Annual Exports 0.91/0.59 1.28/0.98 0.91/1.2 Traditional Variety 0.04/0.005 0.04/0.06 0.04/0.08 Evolved Variety 0.87/0.585 1.24/0.92 0.87/1.12

TOP THREE COUNTRIES OF EXPORT Top 3 Countries for Export by Variety Traditional Variety i)KSA ii) IRAN iii)MUSCAT iv)QATAR Evolved Variety i)KSA ii) IRAN iii)MUSCAT iv)QATAR

PRICE DETERMINATION The Government announces a reference price for paddy to protect the farmer and intervenes in case prices are below this bench mark. The costs of milling, processing , packaging, storage, credit transportation etc are added to the purchase price to determine the final price.

TRADITIONAL BASMATI RICE Growing and Harvest Season? Nursery sowing 20th May to 30th June Transplantation after 30 to 40 days Harvesting late October to end of November.

Varieties and quantities available Basmati-370 = 2-3% Basmati Pak (Kernel) = 2-3% Shaheen Basmati, B-2000 = 2-3% Basmati-385 = 10% Super Basmati = 80%

FARMER ORGANIZATIONS Basmati Growers Association, Lahore-2005 Farmers Associates of Pakistan-1992

Where does the farmer obtain seed? Government controlled seed companies and self retained farmer seed. Are land stewardship, growing and harvesting practices shared or monitored? More than 90% of land is owner cultivated and self managed

Farm Gate Pricing How established? Premiums paid for quality? Who pays the farmer? Private sector Indicative price by Government Minimal intervention The indicative price of the Govt. helps in establishing the farm gate price. Premium for quality never exceeds 5%. Govt. rarely intervenes by purchasing 7% of the total produce through rice mills. Except for the last year 100% of the farmers produce is bought by the private sector directly from the farmer or through agents in the market.

How many mills process Basmati? More than 2,000 rice mills. How does the rice get to the mill? The rice (paddy) is purchased from the farmer directly at the farm, at the market or at the mills gate.

What are the steps in the milling process? Sun drying/mechanical drying 3 to 4 days of returning to room temperature Stacking/storing Or milling Milling, processing & packaging for sale Usually the processing in only done when the rice has to be sold, otherwise it is stored as brown rice or slightly polished rice.

What makes a mill a good mill? A mill which has the following capacities To inspect and analyze paddy purchases To dry and store while ensuring origin, variety and quality. Its machinery produces with minimum breakage and wastages The milling, processing & packaging is at the same premises Storage is pest free. Has the financial strength to age (store) rice for atleast 6 months to one year & supply quality on a constant basis HACCP & ISO-9002 approved

Packaging Is packaging done at the mill or elsewhere? Export packing is done at the processing mill Recommended packaging material, styles and size? Packaging ranges from 1Kg, 5Kg, 10Kg, 25Kg and 50Kg. The material used for 50Kg and 25Kg packing is polypropylene or cotton printed bags. Smaller packing are usually in zipped cotton handbags.

What are the grades and standards of each grade? The grades and standards are established by the Pakistan Quality Standards Authority and generally relate to broken % variations What portion of annual harvest falls into each grade? The annual harvest is usually the best grade except for the post harvest handling which also include processes outside the farm reduce this component by 15% to 20%

Possibility for 100% guarantee and traceability from seed to bag: Each purchased consignment is allotted a definite lot number along with the name of the farm and number of the field. To include but not limited to seed variety, farm, region, transportation to mill, milling process/segregation, packaging, etc…… Each variety is separately handled and the final product is stored accordingly.

DNA Testing Is this necessary to ensure Traditional Basmati variety? This is unnecessary if the capacity to inspect and analyze the different varieties of Basmati exists with the buyer and origin is ensured. Where and when should it be done in the production cycle? In case it is necessary, the test should be done before packing of the consignment at the mills. Cost associated Each sample takes a week in the process and costs about 200$.

Organic Traditional Basmati milled rice 1,000 Hectares producing 2,400 MT Evolved Basmati varieties 12,650 Hectares producing 30,000MT Certified(NOP/USDA) organic Basmati rice=7,000 MT Premium charged= 20-25% Is there significant land stewardship practices compared to conventional? Definitely yes because it requires extra efforts.

THANKS