Basmati Rice GI Tagging

The Madras High Court had dismissed the Madhya Pradesh government’s plea for GI tagging of Basmati rice grown in the state.

Basmati Rice

The Basmati variety is noted for its slender, elongated and aromatic grains. The distinctive flavour and aroma of the rice is due to the presence of a compound called 2AP or 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. This compound is also found in fruits, cheese and certain other cereal grains.

Basmati Growing Countries

Basmati rice variety is cultivated in India and Pakistan. 65% of the international demand for basmati rice is catered to by India while the rest is supplied by Pakistan. The cultivation of this variety is favoured by the conditions in the Indo-Gangetic Plains. Several related varieties are Baroma of Indonesia and Texmati of Texas.

GI Tagging of Basmati

In India, the Basmati rice variety was given the Geographical Indication Tag or GI tag in 2010. However the tag was given only to those Basmati rice crops grown in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. It did not recognise the Basmati grown in 13 districts of Madhya Pradesh.