Chandigarh, Feb 22 (IANS): HAFED, the apex cooperative federation of Haryana, has procured export orders of 85,000 metric tons (MT) basmati rice valuing Rs 850 crore from a Saudi Arabia importer, Managing Director A. Sreenivas said on Wednesday.

He said of this, an order of 33,000 MT has been executed and the rest is under the process of execution.

HAFED is currently participating in the world's biggest food and beverages exhibition at Dubai, aGULFOOD 2023', by putting up its exhibition stall for the first time.

Its Chairman Kailash Bhagat and Managing Director Sreenivas, along with officers, visited the exhibition and had a series of meetings with potential buyers of basmati rice for export tie-ups, an official statement said.

Sreenivas said HAFED procured export orders from the leading importer M/s Saleh A Babekar Sons Company of Riyadh.

"HAFED is also making commercial purchases of basmati paddy and has procured 2.75 lakh MT basmati paddy from farmers during the current financial year," he said.