Union of Small and Medium Enterprises demands dismissal of Quality Review Committee for failure to advocate geographical identification of Pakistani Basmati rice

Karachi, January 01, 2014 (PPI-OT): The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) called for the dismissal of the Quality Review Committee (QRC) for its failure to define the geographical identification (GI) of basmati rice.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the QRC failed in its duty to protect the basmati rice by letting India prevail in its contention that only that rice is defined as basmati rice which is grown in the Indian territory at the foot of the Himalayan region and included vast area of India and excluded important basmati growing areas of Pakistan. It even excluded areas of Sialkot and Narowal where top quality basmati is grown.

It is indeed shameful that the QRC did not take interest and advocate the cause of basmati which it is duty bound to identify, define and protect.

Thaver said the basmati stakeholders are annoyed at the lethargic attitude of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and are also questioning the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) for not raising the issue and remaining silent on such a crucial matter which will have adverse consequences in marketing of basmati rice.

He urged the ministry of commerce (MOC) to call an urgent meeting of all stakeholders namely the growers, processors and exporters and representatives of growers of basmati rice in important rice growing areas since centuries.

He also invited the attention of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to the omission and demanded reconsideration of the matter in the best interest of all basmati stakeholders.

For more information, Contact:
Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME)
75/1 3rd Commercial Street,
Phase IV, D.H.A., Karachi, Pakistan
Phones: + 92 35884225 and 6
Cell: + 92 300 8245307 and + 92 321 8245307
Fax: + 92 35380642
Email: unisame@gmail.com