Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday expressed deep dismay and shock to Central Government over Agricultural and processed food products export development authority (APEDA) appeal against the decision of Geographic Indication (GI), Chennai to accept Madhya Pradesh as Basmati cultivating area in Intellectual Property Appellate Board, Chennai.
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chief Minister said that he did not know whether or not decision to appeal against the decision of GI Registrar has backing of the Prime Minister but the discontent was surely and palpably brewing among the farmers of Madhya Pradesh. Chouhan also urged the Prime Minister to immediately intervene in the matter and direct APEDA to accept the GI, Chennai’s order dated December 31, 2013 in letter and spirit.
The Chief Minister also clearly stated that Madhya Pradesh Government would continue to press for the interests and rights of State’s Basmati farmers.
Chouhan said that the State Government and farmers’ bodies had presented before Geographic Indication, Chennai, numerous authentic and indisputable historic documents and laboratory reports to prove that Madhya Pradesh had been traditionally growing Basmati for more than a century. He said that quality of Basmati grown in Madhya Pradesh was as good as, if not superior to Basmati grown in Northern India.
The Chief Minister also wrote similar letters to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Union Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Chouhan expressed his suspicion that APEDA, which has the mandate of promoting export of agriculture produce, had succumbed to certain vested interests of Northern India. Acting against its own mandate and under bogey of WTO and International Courts, it has filed an appeal against GI order dated December 31, 2013 thereby hurting the legal and legitimate rights of the Madhya Pradesh’s farmers, said Chouhan and added that it implied that APEDA had apparently no objection to Basmati rice grown in Pakistan but had definite objection to include Madhya Pradesh as Basmati cultivation area.
He said that the State had proved beyond doubt in GI, Chennai, that it had been traditionally growing Basmati rice. Geographic Indication, Chennai accepted all the factual documents presented by the State and directed APEDA in order dated December 31, 2012 to amend its application and include Madhya Pradesh as Basmati cultivation state.
Drawing attention of the Prime Minister Chief Minister Chouhan said Madhya Pradesh cultivated Basmati rice in 2 lakh hectare and produces 5 lakh MT and informed that Basmati cultivated in the State had been of standard quality acceptable and favoured by foreign markets so much so that Basmati from the State had around 40 per cent share in export to USA.
Chouhan said the stand taken by APEDA was against the rights of Basmati cultivators of the State, was against mandate of APEDA and was against the national interest. He said this stand of APEDA would reduce exports of the country significantly and help countries like Pakistan.