ISLAMABAD, June 2: The ministry of commerce has convened a meeting on Monday to sort out differences between the Basmati Growers Association (BGA) and other stakeholders to pave way for early finalisation of the much-awaited geographical indications (GIs) law to protect the national heritage.

Well-placed sources told Dawn on Friday that the delay in framing the law led to adoption of Pakistani super basmati varieties by India, which would reduce the export market share of Pakistani basmati in international market mainly in the Middle East, the UK and some western countries.

The BGA is supported by the commerce ministry to register the basmati with the Intellectual Property Rights Organisation (IPRO), which would give them exclusive rights over the commodity. This move was strongly objected by the other stakeholders — exporters, millers, wholesalers, and retailers.

The other stakeholders, according to the sources, have also asked the ministry for registration of the commodity, which was strongly objected by the WTO wing of the ministry of commerce. This subsequently led to the creation of a seven-member body of BGA.

There is a provision in the law that allows individual registration of a commodity and the government can also register any commodity under GIs.

Super basmati variety was notified in the Official Gazette by Pakistan under its Seeds Act 1976 as early as 1995, while production and export of this variety started in 1985 in Pakistan. Super basmati is globally recognised as Pakistan’s basmati variety and very well accepted with exports over 800,000 tons.

According to the sources, the BGA had declined the request of other stakeholders in a meeting held in Lahore on May

30 last asking for withdrawal of the growers’ application filed with the IPRO for getting collective trade mark of the commodity.

This row among the rice stakeholders, which is in some way supported by the commerce ministry, will further create problems in getting common GIs with India.