NAIP Project “Establishing and Networking of Market Intelligence Centers in India” is under operation at GBPUA&T, Pantnagar. One of the objectives of this project is to make price forecasts well in advance of sowing of selected agricultural commodities and during harvesting. The research team of G.B.P.U.A.&T., Pantnagar under the supervision of Dr. Anil Kumar (Principle Investigator) had conducted market survey of Rudrapur regulated market, a major market for fine paddy  in the Uttarakhand, and analyzed the market price data prevailed for the last eighteen years in this market. The results of econometric analysis shows that the market prices of fine paddy( Pusa 1121, Panjab-1 and Sarbati etc.) in Rudrapur market would be ruling in the range of Rs. 1800-2000 per quintal in the month of October, November 2013 and December 2013. However the prices of traditional basmati paddy like Tarawadi, Dehradun Basmati and Pakistni Basmati etc. would be ruling  more than Fine paddy. .The farmers who wish to take fine paddy cultivation in the current season on their farms are thus advised to decide the varieties and acreage under fine paddy crop considering forecasted price of fine paddy as well as other conditions.

Paddy is the most important and extensively grown food crop in the World. It is the staple food of more than 60 percent of the world population. The area under paddy in the world was 164.12 million hectares with a production of 722.76 million tons during 2011. The major paddy producing countries are China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, and Bangladesh. India has the largest area under paddy in the world and ranks second in production after China.  India ranks among the first top five exporters of rice and exports about 7-8 lakh tones mostly to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries, Europe, and USA. India produces about 20.24 per cent of global rice production. The area under paddy in India was 44.10 lakh hectares and production was around 155.70 million tons during 2011. West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Karnataka and Haryana are the major paddy producing states in India. As far as Uttarakhand is concerned, area under paddy was 0.3 million ha and production was 0.58 million tons during 2010-11. The major paddy producing districts in Uttarakhand are Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun and Haridwar.