Madhya Pradesh CM says basmati rice from the State is exported to 47 nations
At a recent gather of thousands of farmers at Raisen in Madhya Pradesh, State Chief Minister Mohan Yadav proudly said that the district exported Basmati rice to 47 countries.
At a recent gather of thousands of farmers at Raisen in Madhya Pradesh, State Chief Minister Mohan Yadav proudly said that the district exported Basmati rice to 47 countries. This is despite the State not being recognised as Basmati growing State under the Geographical Indications (GI) definition. Even as the matter is yet to be settled legally, Yadav’s mention of export happening from Raisen may weaken India’s case globally as no major importing country is yet to recognise its Basmati GI despite APEDA spending huge sum in past many years.
The issue of including Madhya Pradesh in the GI area is an emotive issue in the State, first raised by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, when he was chief minister, as the State government had filed a case in GI registry for its inclusion in the geographical area. Under the GI law, even if farmers grow Basmati varieties outside the demarcated GI area, those cannot be sold as Basmati, making it difficult to get exported.
But Opposition Congress leader Digvijaya Singh last month threatened to go on a hunger strike if the State’s farmers do not receive the GI benefits for their Basmati rice. He wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking GI tag for Basmati rice produced in Madhya Pradesh.
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Source : The Hindu Business line
