Uk Traders Unhappy Over Basmati Patent

British rice traders and millers are supporting Asian producers in their challenge to the award of a patent by the United States Patent Office to a Texas firm, RiceTec Inc, to sell under the basmati brand name.

British firms say RiceTec could now supply a cheaper variety that could be inferior in quality to the basmati rice grown mainly in the Himalayan foothills in India and Pakistan.

Even if they come and dump that here, it will still not be the true stuff, said Moni Verma, owner of wholesaler and miller VeeTee Rice.

India exported around 523,000 tonnes of basmati in 1996-97, including 170,000 tonnes to Europe.

 

Indian minister of state for agriculture Som Pal said on Friday that the government would contest the patent, which was granted in September 1997, on scientific grounds.

Hundreds of farmers gathered in New Delhi last Friday to protest against the award to RiceTec, a decision which Verma described as mischievous.

Howard Jones, marketing controller of United Kingdoms privately owned distributor Tilda Ltd, said, True basmati can only be grown in India or Pakistan. We will support them in anyway if its necessary.

The total rice market in Britain is around 400,000 tonnes, 30 per cent of which is basmati.

Because of its low yield, basmati is more expensive than other brands.

Verma, a former chairman of United Kingdoms Grain and Feed Trade Association, said RiceTec had earlier made an unsuccessful attempt to enter the United Kingdom market.

The Texas company sold rice under the brand names of Texmati and Kasmati and had since then made gentle inroads into the European mainland market.

This company is using farming techniques...to create a similar rice but they would sacrifice a lot of characteristics of basmati, including the aroma, he said.