GI Registry holds meeting to decide on GI tag for Basmati rice from Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh farmers and APEDA met the registry to put forward their arguments

The demand of the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the farmers in the State to include its 13 districts under the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Basmati rice is being considered by the GI Registry. Meetings were held for three days in October and is scheduled for another three days in November, informed the representatives of the state in the Madras High Court on Wednesday.

The development comes in a case, which was filed by the state government and the farmers who want the court to set aside an order of Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), issued in February, allowing GI registration for Basmati rice grown in various parts of seven States, in an application by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

In a hearing on August, this year, the high court has questioned why the State has not approached the GI Registry after the IPAB has asked the registry to reconsider the claims of the State afresh.

When the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday both the parties informed the high court that they have presented their arguments with the registry in meetings held last month and further meetings are arranged for three days in November. The court posted the matter for directions in January 2017.

Madhya Pradesh has claimed that 13 out of its 51 districts has been cultivating Basmati rice and is entitled to receive the GI protection.

APEDA claimed that the rice has been grown and produced in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. And submitted the data to establish its claim in this region and opposed the claims of Madhya Pradesh. Following the IPAB order in favour of the APEDA's claims, on February 15, 2016, the GI Registry has issued an order registering the GI for Basmati for the geographical demarcation provided by the APEDA. The State of Madhya Pradesh has filed a petition with the Madras High Court seeking direction to set aside the IPAB's order.