Bahraich is a district in the Devipatan division of Uttar Pradesh. The district with a population of 3,487,731 constituting to only around 1.74% of the total population of the state. The GSDP of the district is INR 10749.37 Crores

The district was believed to be a part of Gandharva forest. Even today, the north east area spreading across hundreds of square kms of the district is dense forest. It is said that Lord Brahma developed this forest- area as a place of worship for saints and sages. Therefore, this place was known as ‘Brahmaich’. The economy of Bahraich district is mainly agrarian in nature.

Bahraich is situated in the northern part of Devipatan Division and lies between 28° 24’ to 27° 4’ North latitude and 81° 65’ to 81° 3’ East longitude. It has an international border with Nepal on the northern side, districts Barabanki and Sitapur in south, Kheri in west and Gonda & Shrawasti in the east. The total geographical area of the district is approximately 4696.8 Sq. Km.

The district is well connected to all prominent cities of the country via road and rail network. The district is located on Lucknow-Barabanki-Bahraich-Balrampur-Basti Highway and Bahraich railway station is well connected to Gonda where trains run to all prominent cities. The nearest airport is located at Lucknow which is 125 Kms. away. The upcoming airport at Shrassasti, once functional will be just at 46 km. from Bahraich.

Rivers have played a significant role in the development of Bahraich. Ghaghara is the main river flowing through the district, formed from the combined waters of the Kauriala, Saryu, and Chauka and other rivers which drain the sub-mountain tract to the west. It enters the district in the extreme west and flows along the southern borders. Within its wide bed it rolls from one side to the other, changing its course almost every year. The land along the riverbanks gets eroded during the rains and for this reason the area of the district is liable to annual variations. Saryu is the second most important river, rising in the district, and joining the Ghaghara in Bahraich. The Kuwano River flows along the northern border, with the Bisuha, a small stream of a similar character. The soils of the district are composed of the fluvial deposits of these rivers. The entire district falling in sai sub basin of Bahraich represents flat topography
There are several important lakes in the district, including the Banki, Kodar, Aranga, and Parwati & Pathri. The district has 67926 hectares of total forest cover which is 13.97% of Total Area of District. Trees like teak, shesham, saal, eucalyptus, bamboo, etc. are found.

Bahraich is a beautiful city situated at the border of Nepal. The city draws attention of forest lover from all over the world. Bahraich is a fusion of sanctity, religion, traditions, history and architecture which offers varied experiences from historical to religious. Bahraich is one of the destinations which holds the Dargah shareef Mela, world’s largest congregation of devotees. Bahraich has also played a leading role in development of Hindi and Urdu literature.

The district has 5,518 industries that employ around 19,049 individuals . The key industries of the district include Agro based food products, Ready-made garments & embroidery, Engineering units and wood and wooden based furniture etc.

The Agro based products units comprises of arounds 1310 units of production in Bahraich. The total turnover of these units is Rs. 931.53 crores through domestic sales but does not directly export.Agro based (Food products) industries contribute most in terms of employments ~ approximately 25.48%, Engineering units contributes ~16%, Wood and wooden based furniture contributes ~15.17%, and Metal based (steel fab) contributes ~10.23%, Repairing and services contributes ~7%, Leather, Chemical, Electrical machinery & transport equipment, Mineral Based and others ~11.29% of work force is employed in this vertical.

The following table depicts the value of export of major products from Bahraich:

The economy of the cluster is heavily dependent on agriculture products- Rice.

The economy of the cluster is heavily dependent on agriculture products- Rice. In Bahraich, Rice production is Approximate 307149.3 ton from 162685 Ha cultivated land in major area of Block Mahsi, Balha, Risia, Huzoorpur, Nawabganj, Mihinpurwa, Payagpur, Visesharganj, Tejwapur, Fakarpur, Jarwal, and productivity – 18.88 Qtl. /ha . There are ~ 35 operational units in the cluster employing around 700 individuals and with a turnover of about INR 755.59 crore. Agro based units are mostly located in Bahraich city and nearby Bahraich city like Nawabganj, Fakharpur, Payagpur, Kaiserganj, Mihinpurwa etc.

Rice edible starchy cereal grain and the grass plant by which it is produced. Roughly one-half of the world population, including virtually all of East and Southeast Asia, is wholly dependent upon rice as a staple food; 95 percent of the world’s rice crop is eaten by humans. Rice is cooked by boiling, or it can be ground into a flour. It is eaten alone and in a great variety of soups, side dishes, and main dishes in Asian, Middle Eastern, and many other cuisines. Other products in which rice is used are breakfast cereals, noodles, and such alcoholic beverages as Japanese sake. The cultivated rice plant is an annual grass and grows to about 1.2 metres (4 feet) in height. The leaves are long and flattened and are borne on hollow stems. The fibrous root system is often broad and spreading. The panicle, or inflorescence (flower cluster), is made up of spikelets bearing flowers that produce the fruit, or grain. Varieties differ greatly in the length, shape, and weight of the panicle and the overall productivity of a given plant. Many cultures have evidence of early rice cultivation, including China, India, and the civilizations of Southeast Asia. However, the earliest archaeological evidence comes from central and eastern China and dates to 7000–5000 BCE. More than 90 percent of the world’s rice is grown in Asia, principally in China, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, with smaller amounts grown in Japan, Pakistan, and various Southeast Asian nations. Rice is also cultivated in parts of Europe, in North and South America, and in Australia.
In the 1960s the so-called Green Revolution, an international scientific effort to diminish the threat of world hunger, produced improved strains of numerous food crops, including that known as miracle rice. Bred for disease resistance and increased productivity, this variety is characterized by a short sturdy stalk that minimizes loss from drooping. Poor soil conditions and other factors, however, inhibited its anticipated widespread success. In the India it has been reported that there are over 6,000 varieties of rice.

Multiple varieties of rice exist including short-grain, medium-grain, and long-grain varieties. The following are the key varieties of Rice which are produce, processing and sale domestic and indirect export in the cluster:
► Rice: NDR-97, NDR-359,
► Basmati Rice: Surbati
► Hybrid rice: Sudha (D3100), PHB-71, Arize-6444 ;

The following table lists the HS codes under which the products are exported from the district: ;

The export scenario of India and Uttar Pradesh has been analysed basis the export statistics of HS codes mentioned above. Alongside are the key facts pertaining to the analysed product codes. Based on our analysis, we have identified key synergies that should be developed to expand our current reach and potential; These synergies are divided into immediate and long term. The immediate synergies include countries with Signed FTA’s, high growth potential, and one is catered by India and not UP. Whereas the long-term synergies include countries with untapped market potential which can only be fulfilled if UP’s exporters comply and raise the quality of the product to the highest standards, freight rates are more subsidized and major efforts is required in marketing which will require time to accommodate the same. ;

As various products are manufactured and sold under the Agri food related to Rice products like Basmati rice, non-basmati rice of Bahraich , in order to gauge our understanding of where India stands relative to the world on the trade of these products, each product has been delved into as a separate unit defined by its exports and imports in comparison to its competition and potential markets to target in the future. The consolidated list of countries that India can target, respective to the analysis carried out in each chapter are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, UAE, Benin, Yemen, Togo, USA, Nepal, Guinea, Kuwait, Malaysia, UK as mapped below.
Product 1: 100630; _ Semi-milled or wholly milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed India's exports represent 36.3% of world exports for this product, ranking it number 1. The value of India’s exports over the last 5 years have increased by CAGR 8% with a sharp increase in 2018 and then a subsequent dip post that and again increase in 2020. As per data FY 2018-19 to 2020-21 for exports from the state of UP, it is observed that there has been increased by CAGR 40.75%, with a similarly sharp increase from 2018-19. The top importers for this product in the world are given below, alongside the value of the product imported in 2020.

Product Diversification is one of the most crucial product uplifting strategies which in turn is an important part of a product’s export. Currently, only the grains of rice are being sold directly in the market. Knowing the health benefits of the product an initiative can be made for product diversification to manufacture value added products such as chiwda, poha, brown rice, rice noodles, idli & dosa batter.
The broken rice can be used to create flour. Rice flour is gluten-free; therefore, it is an alternative for producing gluten-free products. Rice flour is also hypoallergenic. Thus, it can be utilized for producing baby food, puddings, and other food products. Due to the decreased risk for people with sensitivities, food companies prefer rice flour to other varieties of flour. Thus, it is economically justifiable to grind broken rice to produce flour for such applications. With adequate upgradation of technology in the cluster the farmers/ millers can sell by-products and generate additional income by manufacturing by-products from Rice Husks, Brans and Straws; the following are their uses:

In Bahraich, rural population is approximately 80% and is majorly involved into agriculture & farm related occupations.

In Bahraich, rural population is approximately 80% and is majorly involved into agriculture & farm related occupations.
Bahraich is not penurious for any introduction in the field of Food Processing. Pulses are harvested here in large scale being the topographical area of district as lowland. Apart, Wheat, Paddy, Maize etc. are also other crops farmed here. Vegetables, which are of daily use, also processed along with these food grains so that their supply can be ensured during off season. Keeping the Potato in cold storage and keeping green peas as fresh through processing, are one of the major cottages/small scale industries available in this district. Presently a big portion of rural population of Bahraich is involved in the field of food processing. The focus product under the ODOP scheme has been selected as the Pulses in food processing. Since the district is known for its food processing industry, has favourable soil conditions due to the presence of river Rapti, fertile land is available so growing pulses is very easy and farmers can cultivate it with less input cost. Masur is grown as one of the major crops engaging approximately 47832 hectares of land, productivity of crop is 6.62 quintal per hectare and production is approximately 31664.78 Tonnes and approx. 40,000 farmers connected with various types of pulse cultivation. The total cultivable area of Bahraich District is approximately 3.50 Lakh Hectares out of this only 55294 Hectares (15.75%) is utilized for growing of pulses. Arhar, Urad, Matar and Chana are grown in almost all blocks in small quantities for self-consumption (depending upon the annual need of the family) Arhar is mainly grown in the Harhariya Block (approximately 80%). Masur is mainly growing the River Rapti Basin area and covers Bahraich, Visheshwarganj, Payagpur Jarwal, Pakharpur Blocks and is mainly grown for commercial purposes, in cases farmer also sells this dal to buy Arhar and other dal for consumption purposes. Masur and Arhar used to be two of the major pulse crops grown in the district and Masur was commercially sold in the district Mandi and other nearby markets. 10 pulse processing mills are located in Mini Industrial Estate (Bhagwatiganj) present in Bahraich District

Dals are an integral part of the Indian diet. A major source of protein, that the vegetarians use in their everyday meals. India is home to many different varieties of lentils, dried beans, pulses, and legumes. Traditionally, Bahraich district is renowned for its Red Lentils (Masur Dal) production. The other type of pulses which are grown in the district are pigeon pea (Arhar), Urad (Black Gram), Chana (Brown Chickpeas), Moong (Green Gram) etc.,
Lentils receive their scientific name, Lens culinaris, from their curved lens-shaped seed. They are a type of legume that is native to Western Asia and North America. Lentils are one of the earliest domesticated crops, seen in the diets of ancient Rome and Egypt. Many countries enjoy lentils as a dietary staple, as they offer an earthy, mild, nutty flavour that works well in various recipes. Canada leads the world’s production of lentils, followed by India. Lentil seeds are an excellent source of plant-based proteins and represent a viable alternative to animal and soybean proteins for food processing formulations. Lentil proteins provide not only dietary amino acids but are also a source of bioactive peptides that provide health benefits. They may be sold as whole lentils or split with the husks removed. Whole lentils with husks intact take longer to cook and will retain their shape; split lentils without husks cook very quickly and break down into a puree. These differences in texture will determine in which recipes they may be used. Lentils are available dried or canned.

The following are the key varieties of different type pulses which are produce, processing and sale domestic and indirect export in the cluster:
► Lentil: Narender Masur -1, Narender Masur -2
► Pigeon pea: NA-1, NA-2,
► Urad (Black Gram): NU-1, NU-2
► Moong (Green Gram): NM-1 ;

The following table lists the HS codes under which the products are indirect exported from the district:;

The export scenario of India and Uttar Pradesh has been analysed basis the export statistics of HS codes mentioned above under which food processing related to pulses (Masoor) are exported. Alongside are the key facts pertaining to the analysed product codes. Based on our analysis, we have identified key synergies that should be developed to expand our current reach and potential; These synergies are divided into immediate and long term. The immediate synergies include countries with Signed FTA’s, high growth potential, and one is catered by India and not UP. Whereas the long-term synergies include countries with untapped market potential which can only be fulfilled if UP’s exporters comply and raise the quality of the product to the highest standards, freight rates are more subsidized and major efforts is required in marketing which will require time to accommodate the same. ;

As various products are manufactured and sold under the food processing related to pulses products like Masoor (Lentil) of Bahraich , in order to gauge our understanding of where India stands relative to the world on the trade of these products, each product has been delved into as a separate unit defined by its exports and imports in comparison to its competition and potential markets to target in the future. The consolidated list of countries that India can target, respective to the analysis carried out in each chapter are Bangladesh, USA, Bhutan, Qatar, UAE, Italy, Nepal, Netherlands, Singapore, Thailand, as mapped below.
India's exports represent 0.6% of world exports for this product, ranking it number 9. The value of India’s exports over the last 5 years have increased by CAGR 1% with a sharp increase in 2018 and then a subsequent dip post. As per data FY 2018-19 to 2020-21 for exports from the state of UP, it is observed that there has been increased by CAGR 42.88%, with a similarly sharp increase from 2018-19.

Product Diversification is one of the most crucial product uplifting strategies which in turn is an important part of a product’s export. Currently, only the pulses are being sold directly in the market. Knowing the high demand of the product an initiative can be made for product diversification to manufacture value added products such as papad, sweets, Namkeen, podis, halwas powder, ladoos, combined with cereal-based ingredients (i.e. wheat, rice, oats), etc With adequate upgradation of technology in the cluster the farmers/ millers can sell by-products and generate additional income by manufacturing by-products from broken pulses.