Despite exporting more rice this year at higher prices compared to last year, both Basmati and non-Basmati rice prices have surprisingly fallen in the domestic market. Pakistani Basmati rice growers are swiftly transitioning to high-yield hybrid coarse rice varieties due to several factors: the lower yield of original Basmati, high costs, and losses incurred when harvesting and bringing Basmati paddy to market. There is a growing concern regarding India selling more than 4 million tonnes of Pusa rice varieties, labelled as Basmati rice, to innocent new generation consumers living abroad. These benefits should be passed on to the growers of original Basmati rice in Kalar tract to protect Basmati heritage. Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, and smuggling may jeopardise Pakistan’s traditional Basmati rice varieties, which constitute a billion-dollar trade.
