Basmati farmers from Punjab have opposed an order by the Geographical Indications Registry to expand the areas to be recognised under GI for the unique variety of rice.
The farmers represented by the Basmati Growers Association – Patiala filed an impleading petition in the Intellectual Property Appellate Board here in the ongoing litigation between Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) and the GI Registry in the issue of including more areas to be recognised under GI for basmati.
The Authority has included Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Western UP and two districts of Jammu and Kathua as traditional areas for basmati rice cultivation in its application for GI registration. These are also the areas of basmati cultivation recognised under the National Agricultural Research System of the Union Agriculture Ministry.
In December 2013, the GI Registry directed Apeda to file an amended application with all areas where basmati is cultivated including MP, Rajasthan and Bihar. APEDA filed an appeal before the Board in February 2014 against the order.
The Punjab farmers are against any move to expand the areas recognised under GI for basmati. They have argued that GI recognition can only be provided to historically known areas of basmati cultivation and not other varieties developed in the name and style of Basmati. Any move to redesignate areas under basmati cultivation will only prolong the proceedings and dilute the protection of traditional basmati farmers.
The IPAB has posted the case for final hearing to November 3 and ordered all the parties to file their written arguments by October.
Farmers in Madhya Pradesh represented by their associations and basmati growers in Pakistan have also impleaded themselves in a clutch of representations associated with GI for basmati.