Global Rice News

Indian Concerns over Pakistan’s Basmati Rice Export

Pakistan’s alleged growing and exporting of Indian-developed basmati rice varieties has sparked concerns in India. Last month, the head of a leading agricultural research institute in Delhi expressed his worry over this issue. The Indian Express further highlighted these concerns. The former president of the All-India Rice Exporters Association also wrote to the Commerce Ministry about this development.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress Party’s General Secretary in-charge of communications, took advantage of the election time to criticize the government’s inaction. He accused the Modi Sarkar of not protecting the interests of Indian farmers, breeders, and exporters. AK Singh, director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, did not expect his comments to generate such a political controversy. Apeda, the Agricultural Export Promotion and Development Agency, redirected inquiries to Singh, emphasizing their role in promoting basmati exports by ensuring adherence to cultivation protocols and quality standards.

The concerns arose due to Pakistani YouTube videos discussing the properties and cultivation practices of three basmati varieties developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute for commercial cultivation in 2021. These varieties include versions of popular IARI varieties PB (Pusa Basmati) 6, PB 1121, and PB 1509. These discussions have raised apprehensions about the illegal growth of protected Indian basmati varieties in Pakistan and their subsequent sale on the global market.

India has notified 45 basmati varieties, but the majority of the basmati area last year was planted with IARI varieties. In the 2022-23 season, India exported 4.56 million tonnes of basmati valued at $4.8 billion. However, despite India’s concerns, Pakistan exported nearly six lakh tonnes of basmati last year, accounting for 13% of India’s overseas sales, valued at $650 million.

In its application to the European Commission for Geographical Indication (GI) status for its basmati, Pakistan has listed 24 varieties, including PK 1121 aromatic. These varieties were developed by the Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, near Lahore. Pakistan’s exports of basmati to the EU and UK primarily consist of a variety called Super Basmati.

India’s basmati holds a near monopoly in West Asian countries, where parboiled basmati is preferred to raw basmati. However, Pakistan’s exporters could erode India’s advantage by investing in parboiling technology.

Pakistan’s basmati production faces challenges such as low yields, poor handling, old varieties, changing environment, and diseases. According to a study commissioned by the Pakistani government, the country has limited influence on international markets due to deficient research on basmati compared to other countries, primarily India.

India-Pakistan Dispute over GI Status for Basmati

India and Pakistan are currently in a dispute over obtaining GI status for their respective basmati varieties in the European Union. An initiative to seek recognition for basmati grown in 17 districts of Pakistan and seven states of India was discussed in 2008, but fizzled out after the Mumbai terror attacks.

India enacted its GI law and obtained domestic GI recognition for its basmati grown in specific regions. In 2018, it petitioned the European Commission for GI status, which was opposed by Pakistan. The EC published Pakistan’s application for basmati GI last December, listing eligible districts. However, India opposes the wider area sought to be covered and the inclusion of districts in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

The bilateral dispute is further aggravated by the fact that basmati is also grown in Madhya Pradesh, which does not have GI status. These issues are likely to be brought up by Pakistan in any dispute with India. Overall, the concerns over the export of Indian basmati varieties by Pakistan and the ongoing dispute over GI status reveal the complexities surrounding the basmati rice industry in the region.

Source: NDTV Profit