KARACHI, Feb 1: The Indian government has admitted that its exporters have been cheating their foreign buyers by exporting ‘look-alike’ varieties in the name of basmati in the world market. In order to check this practice the Indian ministry of commerce has issued a set of mandatory standards for basmati rice.

The ministry’s directives would become effective immediately, stated a message received here by rice exporters from the world basmati rice buyers.

The Indian officials have admitted that exporters have been selling look alike varieties as basmati and now the Export Inspection Agencies (EIA) on numerous complaints from foreign buyers have forbidden the export of non-basmati under basmati label.

Indian shippers were selling Pusa as well as Sharbati under basmati but now the commerce ministry of India has realised the fact that their practice was damaging as the foreign buyers and the EIA has now classified Sharbati as non-basmati and only Pusa (grade 1) as basmati.

A leading basmati rice exporter Zulfikar Thaver welcoming the measures adopted by the India ministry of commerce said since India has declared basmati 386 as basmati the Pakistani government should also allow 386 to be exported as basmati, otherwise it will be difficult to compete Indian rice exporters.

He said since long rice exporters have been requesting the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL) to recognise this variety and allow its export as basmati but their demand landed on deaf ears.

Under the new standard fixed by Indian ministry of commerce, only 11 varieties of basmati (those noted under the Seeds Act, 1966) can be legally exported from India as basmati rice.

Of the 11 varieties, 6 are classified and can be labelled as Premium Indian Basmati (traditional varieties) — basmati 217, basmati 370, basmati 386, Dehradun basmati (type 3), Taraori basmati (HBC-19), and Ranbir basmati. The five other varieties are classified and can be labelled as Indian Basmati (hybrid varieties) — pusa basmati I, Kasuri, Punjab basmati-I, Mahi Sugandha and Haryana basmati-I.

The ministry has directed that other basmati varieties including Sharbati, Terricot and Haryana Gaurav cannot be sold as basmati, and would be allowed selling only as long grain aromatic rice.

The standards now authorise the Export Inspection Agencies (EIA) to crack down on exporters that are selling look-alike varieties as basmati. With the new standards, EIA officials will have the authority to impound consignments that are fraudulently labelled as basmati, the message maintained.

The India rice stocks are estimated at 19.3 million tons, the lowest level in 26 months, down approximately 6.3 million tons (25 per cent) from 25.6 million tons on January 1, 2002.

The considerable decline in India’s rice stocks last year is the outcome of higher exports, higher offtake under the Public Distribution System (PDS), and lower procurement. Rice exports between April and December 2002, increased approximately 413 per cent from the same period in 2001 to 5.78 million tons.