Meerut, Dec. 27 -- A basmati seed processing facility centre will come up at Tanda Bijaisi in the Terai region of Pilibhit district. The state cabinet has granted approval for the construction of the centre which will focus on producing high-quality, improved basmati seeds. The facility is expected to significantly enhance basmati rice production as well as exports from the region. The cabinet cleared the proposal on December 22. Pilibhit has long been known for paddy cultivation, with around three lakh farmers engaged in growing rice across nearly 1.40 lakh hectares of agricultural land. However, basmati is currently cultivated on only 5,000 to 6,000 hectares. Over the past several years, the district has witnessed a steady decline in basmati production due to crop diseases, pest attacks, and farmers failing to receive fair prices in local mandis. To revive basmati cultivation, efforts had been underway for a long time to establish a seed processing facility in the district. Following sustained initiatives by local public representatives, the cabinet has now approved the project. Around six hectares of land has already been identified at the Government Agricultural Science Centre in Tanda Bijaisi, located in the Neuria police station limits. Construction work on the facility is expected to begin shortly. Agricultural scientist SS Dhaka said Pilibhit is among the 26 districts of the state declared as basmati zones. He noted that basmati cultivation once covered a much larger area in the district, but gradually declined due to crop-related challenges and poor market returns. Echoing similar views, agriculture officer Narendra Kumar said the land for the project has been finalised and construction will commence soon. He expressed confidence that the basmati seed processing facility centre would play a key role in increasing farmers' income while giving a fresh boost to basmati cultivation and trade in the district....