Kamal Nath assures Hooda of lifting Pusa-1121 export ban

Chandigarh, Aug 3 (UNI) Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today claimed that Union Minister of Commerce Kamal Nath had assured him that the ban on export of Pusa-1121 variety of paddy would be lifted in the larger interest of the farming community.

This assurance was given when Mr Hooda spoke to the Union Minister on telephone today.

Mr Hooda said that Pusa-1121 variety of paddy, which is similar to basmati, did not form part of the leviable pool nor was consumed by common man because it was as costly as basmati itself.

In view of this, export of this variety would neither affect the Public Distribution System purchases for the Central Pool nor would the price of common variety of rice increase in the Indian markets due to its export.

Haryana as well as Punjab had large areas under this variety and it fetched good income to the farmers, he added.

He said that the Pusa-1121 variety is mainly exported on premium to Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran. With the ban on export of non-basmati rice, the prices of this premium variety is likely to crash and the rice growers may suffer heavy losses during the current season and ultimately the country would be deprived of the huge revenue to be earned out of export.

Hence the ban on the export of this variety should be lifted immediately, he added.

Mr Hooda had also written letters to this effect to the Prime Minister.

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