Bhopal/New Delhi, April 29 Veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday wrote to the Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, seeking a high-level meeting to address concerns related to Basmati rice and organic cotton produced in the state.
In his letter, Singh requested the presence of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and senior officials of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority to ensure a comprehensive discussion on issues affecting farmers and exporters.
Raising the long-pending demand of Basmati growers, the veteran Congress leader said farmers in Madhya Pradesh have been seeking a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for their produce for several years, but no concrete progress has been made so far.
He added that the absence of GI recognition has placed local farmers at a disadvantage in both domestic and international markets.
"Farmers of Madhya Pradesh have been demanding a GI tag for Basmati rice for years. Due to its absence, traders from other states are exporting our produce under their own state names, causing financial losses to our farmers," Singh said.
He also alleged serious irregularities in the organic cotton sector, claiming that non-organic cotton is being falsely certified and exported as organic through collusion among certain traders, certification agencies and officials.
"There are serious irregularities in the certification of organic cotton. Through collusion between some traders, certification agencies and officials, ordinary Bt cotton is being exported as organic cotton. This not only harms genuine organic farmers but also affects India's credibility in global markets," the veteran Congress leader said.
Singh noted that he had earlier raised both issues in the Rajya Sabha and had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and concerned Union Ministers, but no satisfactory action has been taken so far.
According to the former Chief Minister, the proposed meeting would aim to facilitate detailed deliberations on granting a GI tag to Madhya Pradesh's Basmati rice and strengthening monitoring and certification mechanisms in the organic cotton sector to ensure transparency and accountability.
"I urge the Central government to convene this meeting at the earliest so that concrete and decisive solutions can be worked out. Farmers must get justice and transparency in the export system must be ensured," Singh added.
He expressed hope that the Centre would act promptly in the interest of farmers and take necessary steps to safeguard both their economic interests and the credibility of India's agricultural exports.
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