Indo-Pak Pusa-1121 Conflict Escalates as Government’s Prior Knowledge of Islamabad’s Action in 2009 Emerges
Published on: April 9, 2024.
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India and Pakistan are embroiled in a unique battle over rice. India has accused Pakistan of pirating its Pusa-1121 basmati rice variety, but Islamabad’s scientists deny the allegations. A recent application by Pakistan to the European Union for a geographical indication (GI) tag for Pusa-1121 basmati has raised concerns of a conflict of interest in Islamabad’s claim.
Records from the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of Parliament, reveal that the Indian government acknowledged in 2009 that Pakistan was indeed growing Pusa-1121, but not on a large scale. The then Minister of State for Agriculture, KV Thomas, confirmed that reports indicated its cultivation in Pakistan, albeit not extensively.
Thomas also addressed allegations of Pakistan attempting to pass off Pusa-1121 as a new variety called Kayanat. He stated that although the Pakistani government had not registered the Kayanat variety, there were generic names like 1121 (Kayanat), Kianat (1121), and 1121-Kiynat-Pussa floating around in media reports and traders’ advertisements in Pakistan.
India’s Indian Council of Agricultural Research had already filed for the protection of Pusa-1121 under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act, 2001. Last month, the director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), AK Singh, called for legal action against Pakistani seed firms for the “illicit seed sales and cultivation” of Pusa-1121 and mentioned that Pusa-1509 variety was being sold and grown as “Kissan Basmati” in Pakistan.
Muhammad Ijaz, the director of the Pakistan Rice Research Institute, rejects India’s claims, stating that they are baseless and merely propaganda. He asserts that the DNA of the Pakistani varieties PK-1121 and Kissan Basmati differ entirely from Indian seeds. Ijaz implies that India’s accusations are a result of Pakistan’s rapid growth in rice exports.
The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan has joined the fray, asking its rice research institute to provide samples of four Pakistani and Indian rice varieties, along with their DNA profiles for a third-party assessment and comparison.
Sources reveal that Pakistan only notified the PK-1121 variety in 2013 and that India, although having protected Pusa-1121 nationally, is not a member of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). This means that India cannot take any action against Pakistan in international markets.
Experts encourage India to take a strong stand against the infringement, citing the need for a well-crafted strategy to defend the exclusivity of basmati rice. They argue that India should design trade policy provisions to prevent such infringements in the future.
In response to Pakistan’s claims that India is jealous of its basmati growth in the global market, sources highlight that Pakistan earns $800-900 million annually from rice exports and has earned close to $10 billion over the past 15 years using Indian seeds. It is noted that India only raised concerns after Pakistan filed for a GI tag with the European Union.
It remains to be seen if India will challenge Pakistan’s application for the GI tag, which is currently under review by the European Commission. Despite the 2009 acknowledgment in Parliament, no action was taken until now, leaving many surprised at the missed opportunity to address the issue earlier.
Source: [The Hindu Business Line](https://www.thehindubusinessline.com)
