SRINAGAR: Kashmiri farmer Zafar Ahmad Bhat was felicitated at the Bharat International Rice Conference in New Delhi for his efforts to preserve the indigenous aromatic rice variety Mushk Budji, which is cultivated in parts of south Kashmir.
Sagam village in Anantnag district is a major centre for cultivating Mushk Budji, a high-altitude, short-grain aromatic rice variety that received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023.
Jammu and Kashmir participated in the international conference alongside agrarian states, including Odisha, Assam and Telangana, to showcase indigenous GI-tagged and specialty rice varieties.
The participation aimed at developing market linkages to help niche rice varieties reach mainstream domestic and international retail markets.
The Union Territory was represented by the Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Department. Director Agriculture Kashmir Sartaj Ahmad Shah attended the conference to engage with institutions, including 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 showcase India’s rice sector and explore opportunities for strengthening market access for specialty rice varieties.
