The Bharat International Rice Conference 2025, scheduled for October 30–31 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, will place India’s cooperatives and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) at the centre of a major initiative to strengthen India’s leadership in the global rice supply chain.
Organised by the Indian Rice Exporters’ Federation (IREF) in association with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the two-day conference is supported by the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Cooperation, Food Processing Industries, and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Several State Governments, including Odisha, Telangana, Assam, Meghalaya, and Manipur, are also partners in the event.
Over 3,000 farmers and FPO representatives, 2,500 exporters, millers, and allied industries, along with nearly 1,000 foreign buyers from more than 80 countries, are expected to participate.
Key cooperative institutions such as the National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), Bhartiya Beej Sahakarita Samiti Limited (BBSSL), and Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (Kribhco) will showcase how cooperatives can connect small farmers with global markets.
India, which produces around 150 million tonnes of rice annually and exports over 20 million tonnes valued at nearly 13 billion US dollars, is aiming to strengthen its export base through farmer-led and cooperative-driven models. The Ministry of Cooperation plans to highlight collective marketing, value addition, and export clustering as tools for empowering rural producers and ensuring traceable, sustainable rice supply chains.
Eight technical sessions will address innovation, certification, climate resilience, and market access.
A Vision and Roadmap for the Rice Sector, to be developed by the Department of Commerce in collaboration with APEDA, IREF, ICAR, and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), will integrate insights from cooperatives, FPOs, and trade associations.
BIRC 2025 aims to unlock 1.80 lakh crore rupees worth of new rice markets and sign export MoUs valued at 25,000 crore rupees. A Culinary Experience Zone curated by APEDA and IREF will promote Indian rice varieties through live tastings and buyer-seller interactions, with participation from cooperative brands and farmer groups.
By placing cooperatives and FPOs at its core, the conference seeks to project India’s rice sector as a model of inclusive growth, sustainability, and global competitiveness.
