In a gathering that passed off in New Delhi on Friday, exporters of the crop from Punjab stated India at present is the only producer of premium Basmati globally. They added that just some districts of Pakistan are in a position to in a position to label their rice as Basmati.

The assembly was attended by Ministries of Agriculture and Commerce, officers from the MP authorities, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), amongst others. Though officers didn’t agree with the MP authorities’s proposal, some exporters of the premium high quality rice stated that the matter must be resolved quickly.

A GI tag is conferred upon agricultural, pure, or smanufactured merchandise originating from a particular geographical area, signifying distinctive traits and qualities. Essentially, it serves as a trademark within the worldwide market.

Anil Mittal, a famend Basmati exporter, cautioned in opposition to diluting the GI tag by together with MP within the Basmati classification, highlighting that GI tags are solely granted to Basmati grown within the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), spanning seven states – Punjab, Haryana, some districts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Western Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. Mittal added that together with MP within the GI area would have financial repercussions for India. At current, premium high quality Basmati enjoys a “zero-duty” standing in European nations, which might stop if the GI is prolonged to MP, he stated.

According to APEDA, the origin and repute of Basmati as a “long-grain, aromatic rice” from the IGP area are deeply rooted in custom, folklore, scientific and culinary literature, in addition to political and historic data. Varieties resembling Dehraduni Basmati, Amritsar Basmati, and Tarawari Basmati have gained fame over centuries. APEDA officers stated that snow-fed rivers within the GI area contribute to the distinctive traits of Basmati, a function absent in Madhya Pradesh, the place Basmati cultivation started solely about twenty years in the past.

Ashok Sethi, director of Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association, stated that even when MP claims that their Basmati possesses the identical traits and qualities as that of the rice grown within the IGP, it can’t match the aroma that area’s Basmati possesses.

“India has fought hard to protect the Basmati name from appropriation by other nations, that attempted to create their own versions of the rice. The GI tag has been the shield safeguarding our Basmati, as it has been cultivated in the IGP area of India since time immemorial. If MP is included, it would undermine APEDA’s efforts since 1995 to secure and protect Indian Basmati through over 1,000 legal actions in nearly 50 countries spanning all continents. APEDA sources disclosed that over Rs 200/300 crores have been invested in promoting Basmati rice, defending its GI status, and establishing it as a global brand,” he stated.

Sethi added that if MP is allowed, Pakistan may also begin rising Basmati nationwide. “China will also benefit, not to mention the 50 or more nations that have been explicitly prohibited from using any ‘Basmati-like’ names for their aromatic rice. If Basmati loses its status, it will deprive over two million farmers of the premiums associated with cultivating this unique product,” Sethi stated.