India and Pakistan Basmati Rice Issue
Source : Indian Express
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Why in News ?

India is the world’s largest exporter of basmati rice. It has applied for protected geographical indication (PGI) status from the European Union’s Council on Quality Schemes for Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs.

Key Facts on India and Pakistan Basmati Rice Issue

• This would give it sole ownership of the basmati title in the EU.
• Pakistan, which is the only other basmati rice exporter in the world.
  • It has opposed this move as it would adversely impact its own exports, especially as the EU is a major market for its basmati.

Basmati Production in India 

• In modern India, this region is spread over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.

Basmati GI Issue Within India

• Madhya Pradesh government has been lobbying the central government for its basmati rice varieties to be granted the GI status, even taking the matter to the Supreme Court.
• The All India Rice Exporters’ Association (AIREA) is opposed to this on the basis that it compromises basmati’s integrity.
• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) itself had stated that GI status is strongly linked to a particular geographical region.

Pakistan’s Basmati Production

• Basmati has also been grown for centuries in the Kalar tract, which lies between the Ravi and Chenab rivers in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)

• Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) is a status awarded by the European Commission.
• Protects and promotes named regional food products that have a reputation or noted characteristics specific to that area.

What is Geographical Indication or GI ?

• Sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin.
• Possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
  • It provides legal protection to Indian Geographical Indications thus preventing unauthorized use of the registered GIs by others.
• Geographical Indications are part of the intellectual property rights that comes under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
• It comes under Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act of 1999.
  • Registration of GIs began in the financial year 2004-05 after the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999 came into effect from September 2003.

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