Basmati rice risk losing its global position

GHULAM ABBAS

KARACHI: In the absence of a Geographical Indication (GI) law, the superior quality Pakistani Basmati rice may lose its position in the international market after the Philippines and Bangladesh moved to introduce their rice varieties.

Exporters said that the country's traditional exports, especially the Basmati rice, hitting the demand for the aromatic agricultural product abroad. The existing Trade Marks Ordinance also does not fully encompass all issues covered by a comprehensive Geographical Indication law.

India has already adopted the GI Act in accordance with sections 22, 23 and 24 of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Trade-Related Aspect of Intellectual Property Right to protect its exceptional and traditional export-oriented products.

Pakistan, exporters believe, should also immediately approve the draft of the law still pending with the Ministry of Law to protect a number of agricultural and other Pakistan-specific products.

Although the aromatic rice known as Basmati are traditionally produced in Pakistan and India, but the Philippines also claimed to have produced the same variety and plans to export it to the Middle East by next year.

According to exporters, Bangladesh-based traders recently urged their government to register the Basmati variety as the common heritage of the subcontinent along with India and Pakistan under the GI Act. Bangladesh is expecting to restart export of Basmati rice or 'Banglamotti' as the variety is being marketed abroad, within a few years in view of the frequent bumper crops.

Talking to Business Recorder on Saturday, Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Javed Aslam said that despite persistent appeals of the association, the draft of GI Act was yet to be approved by the government.

He said that the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) had been given the task to formulate a draft of the act proposed in the Strategic Trade Policy Framework of 2009-2012. The authority, he claimed, had reportedly forwarded the act to the Ministry of Law and the ministry was yet to finalise it before submitting it for the cabinet's approval.

He said that exporters raised the issue in a recent meeting with the Commerce Ministry and TDAP, adding that the GI Act had only been implemented in India, Pakistan's sole competitor for Basmati exports. Terming the situation alarming, he said that his association had also informed the Secretary Commerce and TDAP chief about the development in the Philippines.

"The best quality Super Basmati, which is our legacy, should be at least protected through taking the required legislative measures, including the implementation of GI laws". He was doubtful that the quality of the unique crop grown on the soil of Pakistan and India could be replaced by other rice varieties grown elsewhere, steps should be taken for the unique product's value addition and promotion abroad.

According to him, the country had limited options other than promulgation of a new law in this regard, as foreign traders prefered trade with countries which had intact laws.

The Chairman of REAP, however, rejected the impression that Bangladesh's intent to get the joint GI Act of the subcontinent would affect Pakistan's exports of Basmati rice, saying that Dhaka's variety was not of the same quality. India and Pakistan were producing the same quality of Basmati rice because of the proximity of cultivable lands in Punjab. He requested growers to enhance and improve the production Super Basmati to save Pakistan's rice markets abroad, which has over $3 billion share in the country's total exports.