India’s ‘protected’ basmati varieties renamed & cultivated in Pak, IARI demands legal action

Subject: Geography

Section: Eco Geography

Context:

IARI has raised concerns about Pakistan’s unauthorized cultivation and marketing of IARI-bred basmati rice varieties, including Pusa Basmati-1121, PB-6, PB-1509, PB-1847, PB-1885, and PB-1886.
These varieties, accounting for approximately 90% of India’s basmati exports, are protected under Indian law,limiting their cultivation to certain regions within India and restricting seed sales.
The illegal cultivation in Pakistan undermines the rights of Indian breeders and farmers.

Variety Piracy Issues- Specific Varieties and Responses

Pakistani seed firms need only a small quantity of seeds to multiply these varieties, facilitating illegal propagation.
Pusa Basmati-1121 (PB-1121): Known for the extra kernel length of its grains, officially registered in Pakistan as ‘PK 1121 Aromatic’ and marketed as ‘1121 Kainat’.
Other Varieties:PB-6 and PB-1509 have also been adopted in Pakistan, with PB-1509 being registered as ‘Kissan Basmati’.
- Improved Pusa Basmati 1 (Pusa 1460) – First product of molecular breeding in rice in India.
- Pusa Basmati 6 (Pusa 1401) – Superior grain quality.
- Pusa RH10 – Theworld’s first superfine grain aromatic rice hybrid: It was released in 2001 for commercial cultivation in the irrigated eco-systems of Haryana, Delhi and Uttaranchal.
Newer Varieties:IARI’s latest varieties like PB-1847, PB-1885, and PB-1886, bred for disease resistance, are being grown in Pakistan, and acknowledged in YouTube videos by Pakistani farms.

Legal protection for these rice varieties:

IARI Director A.K. Singh has called for legal measures against Pakistani seed firms to protect Indian interests.
All the varieties are notified under the Seeds Act, 1966 for cultivation in the officially demarcated Geographical Indication area of basmati rice within India, covering 7 northern states.
They are further registered under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001. This Act allows only Indian farmers to sow, save, re-sow, exchange or share the seeds of any protected/registered varieties. Even they cannot violate the breeder’s rights by selling the seeds in branded packaged and labelled form

India’s Basmati Rice Exports:

Poised to hit a new high, with projections reaching $5.5 billion for 2023-24, driven largely by high-yielding varieties developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
India dominates markets in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and West Asia, with a preference for parboiled rice.
Pakistan’s Basmati Exports:
- Significantly lower than India’s, with exports valued at $694.55 million in 2021-22 and $650.42 million in 2022-23.
- The first seven months of 2023-24 saw a 24.3% increase in quantity and a 35.6% increase in value over the previous year.
- Pakistan enjoys an 85% share of the EU-UK market due to lower export prices facilitated by the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee.

Source: IE