Joha rice prices double from Rs 80 to 160 in Assam amid demand surge, supply crunch

Guwahati, March 17: Amidst a surge in demand, prices of Joha rice have doubled in a year’s time, from around Rs 80 to Rs 160 in the retail market, pushing it out of reach of many consumers in the State.

The massive price escalation was triggered by a spurt in demand, particularly after a significant failure of the West Bengal’s Gobindobhog rice crop – a similar aromatic, short grain sticky variety – in the 2024-25 season.

Yield volumes of the Bengal variety last year were estimated to be down by nearly 40% compared to the previous fiscal year due to adverse weather, causing a supply crisis.

“Price of Gobindobhog shot up by around 300%. The Assamese Joha then got an opportunity to fill the gap. A bulk of the production in Assam was marketed to Bengal. The increase in demand also led to price appreciation of the Assamese variety,” said Saurabh Khaitan, MD of KDG Foods Private Limited.

He said as the Assam variety moved out, it started gaining traction in premium domestic and international markets, prompting more buyers to come in with increasing inquiries.

However, even though the price of Gobindobhog stabilized this year, there was no self-correction in the price of Assam Joha. “Farmers are holding back their produce expecting higher prices,” he added, expecting that prices will have to come down if the rice variety has to compete.

Joha paddy currently stands at around Rs 75-90 per kg, up from around Rs 32 two years back.

According to Vikask Poddar of Pratik Agro Food Processing, there is also a rise in demand for Assam Joha internally, particularly among the Assamese Diaspora.

“Consumers are increasingly conscious about purity. They are ready to pay any amount,” he said.

An exporter registered with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, M/s Safe Agritrade Pvt Ltd, Kolkata, primarily engaged in the export of rice and spice, is undertaking the first-ever export of GI-tagged Joha rice from Assam to the UK and Italy.

Approximately 25 MT of Joha rice are being exported from Assam. The consignment, processed and packed at Pratik Agro Food Processing, was flagged off on March 12.

Joha rice is cultivated in about 21,662 hectares with a production of approximately 43,298 metric tonnes (FY 2024-25). Around 10% of what remains after self-consumption goes to the mills, and most of it is marketed outside the State, particularly West Bengal.

APEDA’s Saurabh Srivastava said his organization facilitated the export of one metric tonne of GI-tagged Joha rice to Vietnam, and subsequently 2 MT were exported to five Middle Eastern countries – Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

The Joha rice got the GI tag in 2017. An indigenous aromatic variety from Assam, Joha rice is highly valued for its distinct fragrance, fine grain texture and rich taste.

Nagaon, Baksa, Goalpara, Sivasagar, Majuli, Chirang and Golaghat are leading producers of Joha in the State.