Basmati growers body opposes GI tag to MP for aromatic rice

The Centre should protect the global reputation of basmati rice and not give Geographical Indication (GI) tag to other states, including Madhya Pradesh, for the premium grain as it would negatively impact the industry and millions of farmers, a basmati rice growers and exporters' body demanded today.

The Basmati Rice Farmers & Exporters Development Forum (BRFEDF) said that the government should protect basmati the way France has done for Champagne.

"Madhya Pradesh is attempting to piggy back on the reputation built. The inclusion of Madhya Pradesh as growing area will lead basmati to become generic. The loss of protection is not only for traditional growing area but also to Madhya Pradesh. The result is national loss," Priyanka Mittal, a member of the BRFEDF, said in a statement.

Although Madhya Pradesh has lost its claim to sell premium quality of rice under the basmati brand, the state is trying again to get the GI tag.

Currently, the GI tag was given to basmati rice of seven states -- Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh and two districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.

Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin in that defined geographical locality.

Darjeeling Tea, Mahabaleshwar Strawberry, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Banarasi Sarees and Tirupati Laddus are some of the GIs.

Mittal said that Madhya Pradesh has no tradition of cultivating basmati rice and legal protection under the GI Act is important to tact the rights of farmers in seven states so that they continue to receive good price for their produce.

She said that Pakistan too is demanding the tag for its premium rice variety and "any change/addition in area by India is expected to lead to a negative publicity by Pakistan which may be detrimental to the global reputation of basmati".

GI is granted only after consultative group consisted of experts in the field and aggrieved people should appeal to Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) and not to high courts, the forum highlighted.

Basmati is a Rs 35,000-crore industry in the country. India's total basmati rice output is roughly 60 lakh tonnes , of which 40 lakh tonnes is exported.