Basmati and Organic Training Centre: ₹15 Crore Project in Pilibhit

Key facts

• The Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is establishing a basmati and organic training centre and demonstration farm in Tanda Bijesi village, Pilibhit.
• The project has an estimated cost of ₹15 crore and involves the transfer of 7 acres of land.
• The facility, known as the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF) centre, is the second such centre in Uttar Pradesh after Meerut.
• The centre will feature an AI-based satellite survey to map basmati cultivation areas, identify varieties, and generate data for export estimates.
• The facility will include a seed unit, an auditorium, a museum of 45 notified basmati varieties, and a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-accredited lab.
• The NABL-accredited lab will be used to test for DNA, pesticide residues, and heavy metals.
• The BEDF aims to train over 50,000 farmers across seven basmati-producing states by the end of 2025–26.
• The centre will cater to farmers from Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states, including Uttarakhand and Delhi.
• Construction of the project will be carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD) and is expected to be completed within a year.