India moves Sindh HC to desist Pak farmers from using Basmati trademark

Karachi, Dec 28 (ANI): In the latest twist of the long row on the Basmati trademark registration issue, an Indian agriculture development body has approached Sindh High court asking to not allow only Pakistan's basmati rice growers to use the trademark.

In an earlier decision of the Sindh High Court, a trademark registrar had permitted only the basmati growers to use the basmati trademark.

The Indian body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) have appealed in the Sindh High Court against its decision, The News reported.

The Hearing would start in January.

Even though the High Court decision favoured the farmer's body, Basmati Growers Association (BGA), it has moved the high court.

"Earlier the case was decided in our favour, but some points of the decision were against us, so we are also in the high court," said BGA President Hamid Malhi.

He said that the negotiations with the Indian authority were going on. "There is difference between India and Pakistan on the definition of basmati rice. They don't have contiguous area of basmati and they don't produce much of it," he added.

Disputes between REAP and BGA started when Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce asked the stakeholders in rice trade to resolve the trademark registration issue to comply with the Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) regime of the World Trade Organisation.

REAP Chairman Abdul Rahim Janoo claimed that BGA was just a seven members association formed at home.

But BGA maintained that it had total membership of 1,400 growers. "We have provided a list of 1,150 members to the trademark registrar," Malhi said.

In India, earlier the matter of rice certification was given to All India Rice Exporters Association but later on the demand of all stakeholders it was given to APEDA.(ANI)