GI TAG FOR BASMATI RICE

GI TAG FOR BASMATI RICE

Subject : International Relations

Context : Pakistan has received the Geographical Indicator (GI) tag for its Basmati, paving the way for creating a local registry for the particular strain of rice and making a case in the international market.

Concept :

• Experts on Basmati rice and patents said there was no cause for worry January 28, 2021 a day after Pakistan said it had got a Geographical Indications (GI) tag for its Basmati rice.
• They also noted that Basmati rice was a joint heritage of India and Pakistan and that Pakistan was as entitled to secure its Basmati rice trade as India. They added that Pakistan securing the GI tag for its Basmati rice would, in no way, dent India’s Basmati exports.
• A GI tag can be filed in international fora only when one has GI laws in their country.
• So far, Pakistan did not have them. But now, it has enacted an Act and can thus follow India’s path. We had a GI Act in place in 2001 and filed an application in 2008. We are much ahead of them. There is no need to worry,” officials added.
• A GI is a tag on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess certain qualities due to that origin and are safeguarded by legalities such as by the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

Basmati Rice

• It is one of the best known varieties of rice all across the globe.
• It is a long grain rice which has its origin from India and some parts of Pakistan.
• It has a unique position in the rice world due to its price, fragrance, grain morphology as well as quality.
• Basmati rice has a unique fragrance and flavour caused due to the presence of a chemical called 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.
• This chemical is found in basmati rice at about 90 parts per million (ppm) which is 12 times more than non-basmati rice varieties.
• Basmati rice needs specific climatic conditions to grow which is why it is cultivated in selected regions of India.
• It is cultivated in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and kashmir and western Uttar Pradesh.

Geographical Indication (GI)

• It is an insignia on products having a unique geographical origin and evolution over centuries with regard to its special quality or reputed attributes.
• It is a mark of authenticity and ensures that registered authorized users or at least those residing inside the geographic territory are allowed to use the popular product names.
• GI tag in India is governed by Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999. It is issued by the Geographical Indications Registry (Chennai).