Madhya Pradesh Seeks GI Tag For Basmati

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Madhya Pradesh government has been trying relentlessly since a long time to get Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Basmati produced in 13 districts of the state.

What is ‘Basmati’ rice?

The word Basmati has been derived from two Sanskrit words “vasay” connoting aroma and “mati” from mayup meaning ingrained from the origin.
Basmati rice has a harmonious combination of extra long slender grains, exquisite aroma , high volume expansion during cooking through linear cooked kernel elongation , fluffiness , appealing taste , better mouth feel , after feel, and longer shelf-life after cooking .

Basmati rice is an important export commodity among the food grains exported from India. During the past few years, the Basmati export has been growing steadily, from 7.71 lakh MT in 2003 to an 44.14 lakh MT in 2018-19 .
Almost 132 countries have been importing Basmati from India every year.
Robust demand from the traditional markets in West Asia.

GI, a form of intellectual property right (IPR), is distinct from other forms of IPR, as it ascribes the exclusivity to the community in a defined geography, rather than to an individual, as is in the case of trademarks and patents.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA, under commerce ministry ) had filed the application to register ‘basmati’ as a GI in 2008.
In February 2016 GI registry gave the GI tag to APEDA as the sole custodian of Basmati rice grown in the Indo-Gangetic plains.

APEDA has included 77 districts in the Indo-Gangetic plains along the foothills of the Himalayas where this premium rice can be ‘legally’ cultivated.
The GI-defined area, at present, is spread across 5 lakh hectares involving around 25 lakh farmers.
18 districts in Pakistan also grow basmati rice.

GI Registry
Intellectual Properties Appellate Board (IPBA)
Expert committee appointed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Madras High court ( March 2018 and February 2020)
Political pressure on the central government

Only Physical characteristics are not enough for a product to earn GI tag – History and geographic region.
Dehraduni Basmati, Amritsar Basmati – varieties being produced since centuries/millenia in the foothills of Himalaya region.
Madhya Pradesh started cultivation of varieties of Basmati rice 15/20 years ago.
Madhya pradesh in Gangetic plains?

The geographic zone of GI granted to basmati rice should not be expanded because then GI would lose its goodwill and exclusive credentials.
This would also provide a window for Pakistan to increase its GI area in other regions and China to claim the GI benefits.
This could eventually dent India’s domination (the country accounts for 85% of the total exports) in the basmati rice exports market.
50 other countries have tried branding their rice as Basmati in past 3 decades.