Madhya Pradesh and Punjab CMs spar over GI tag to basmati rice

Exporters say granting GI tag to basmati grown in MP will lower its value in the global market, while MP contends its inclusion will help lakhs of farmers get better price

The spat between Madhya Pradesh and Punjab over the GI tag to basmati rice flared up again today with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan calling Punjab’s Amarinder Singh’s opposition to MP getting the tag ‘politically motivated’ and a move that hurts farmers.

Amarinder Singh, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi written few days back, had opposed Madhya Pradesh’s bid to acquire the GI tag for basmati stating that any move to disturb the status quo will not only harm the interests of farmers and basmati exporters of India, but could also help Pakistan, which also produces