EU market: Pakistan to contest India’s claim on Basmati rice

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has decided to file a case against India’s claim of Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Basmati rice in the European Union.

In a meeting chaired by Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, representatives of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) were of the view that Pakistan was a major grower and producer of Basmati rice and India’s claim of exclusivity was unjustified.

Dawood assured rice exporters that Pakistan would vehemently oppose India’s application in the European Union and restrain Delhi from obtaining the exclusive GI tag for Basmati rice.

He supported REAP and relevant stakeholders, assuring them that their claim on GI tag for Basmati rice would be protected and their concerns would be addressed.

India had submitted an application in the European Union, claiming sole ownership of Basmati rice and falsely misrepresenting its exclusivity. The meeting was attended by the commerce secretary, Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO-Pakistan) chairman and the legal fraternity.

India claimed in the application that long grain basmati rice is grown and produced in districts of the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and a few districts of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. However, the neighbouring country did not mention that the same rice is also grown in parts of Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2020.

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