20 फ़रवरी 2014
Chouhan writes to PM over APEDA's move on basmati rice issue
Bhopal, Feb 20. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed dismay over Agricultural
and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority's
appeal against the decision of Geographic Indication, Chennai
to accept Madhya Pradesh as a 'basmati' rice cultivating area.
Chouhan, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, yesterday 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 has been
traditionally growing basmati rice variety for over a century.
The quality of basmati rice grown in Madhya Pradesh is
as good as, if not superior to, basmati grown in northern
India, he said in the letter.
It seems that APEDA, which has the mandate of
promoting export of agriculture produce, has "succumbed to
certain vested interests of northern India," he said.
"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 Madhya Pradesh's farmers," Chouhan said.
"It implies that APEDA has apparently no objection to
basmati rice grown in Pakistan but has definite objection to
include Madhya Pradesh as basmati cultivation area," he said.
in the letter.
Chouhan 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 said he would like to emphasise
that his government will continue to press for the interests
and rights of state's basmati farmers.
He also wrote similar letters to Union Agriculture
Minister Sharad Pawar and Union Commerce and Industries
Minister Anand Sharma.
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