Tripura’s organic rice reaches Europe: 18 MT shipment heads to Austria & Netherlands

Agartala: Tripura has taken another step towards expanding its presence in international organic food markets with the export of 18 metric tonnes of NPOP-certified ethnic rice to Austria and the Netherlands.

The consignment, flagged off on September 2 with facilitation from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), includes four traditional rice varieties from the northeastern state: Aromatic Kali Khasa, Aromatic Harinarayan, Biron (white sticky rice), and Maimi Hanga (black rice).

The rice has been aggregated from Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) supported by the Tripura State Organic Farming Development Agency (TSOFDA). The consignment is being exported by Pratithi Organic Foods, Sonepat, an exporter of Indian organic agricultural products.

The development is significant for Tripura’s farmers and FPCs as certified organic products continue to find demand in overseas markets.

According to APEDA, participating farmers could potentially achieve up to 40% higher price realisation compared with the domestic market through such export opportunities. This could encourage more farmers to adopt organised production, certification and export-oriented practices.

For local FPCs, direct linkages with overseas buyers can also help improve market access and strengthen their role in the agricultural value chain.

The latest shipment follows a Reverse Buyer-Seller Meet (RBSM) organised by APEDA in Tripura last month.

The meeting brought international buyers and local producers together to explore business opportunities. The current shipment demonstrates how such buyer-seller interactions can translate into actual export orders and market linkages for farmers and producer organisations.

Austria and the Netherlands are also important destinations for certified agricultural products, where quality, food safety, certification and traceability are key requirements.

Tripura's export consignment highlights the commercial potential of the state's traditional rice varieties, particularly when combined with organic certification and organised aggregation.

The four varieties being exported offer distinct characteristics, including aromatic rice, sticky white rice and black rice. Their entry into European markets could help create greater visibility for Tripura's traditional agricultural products.

The consignment was flagged off by Tripura Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath, APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev, and Tripura Agriculture Department Secretary Apurba Roy, in the presence of officials from APEDA, NABARD, TSOFDA, the state Agriculture Department, the exporter and logistics partners, along with rice farmers.

Nath said the export marked an important moment for Tripura's farmers and highlighted the state's potential in organic and traditional agricultural products. He also stressed the need to strengthen the state's organic farming ecosystem and help producers meet international standards.

APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev said the export demonstrated the potential of the Northeastern Region to contribute to India's organic and agricultural exports. He emphasised the importance of certification, traceability and quality systems in connecting farmers and FPCs with global markets.

The export of 18 MT may be a relatively small shipment in volume, but it carries wider significance for Tripura's agricultural economy.

For farmers, the key opportunity lies in moving beyond local markets towards higher-value, certified and traceable agricultural supply chains. For FPCs, exports can create stronger commercial relationships and improve their bargaining position.

If such market linkages continue to expand, Tripura's organic and traditional rice varieties could become an important part of the state's agricultural export basket.