For the second time, India has faced a setback in Australia in its attempt to get exclusive recognition for Basmati, the fragrant long-grain rice used in biryanis, adding to the pressure on farmers and exporters trying to unlock an alternate overseas market because of uncertainty over trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz, stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Basmati rice. Representational image. Photo courtesy: www.pexels.com
According to reports, the Australian Federal Court has rejected the appeal filed by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which had sought recognition of Basmati as a certification trademark in Australia. The decision means Indian exporters will have to continue sharing the Australian market with Pakistan.
The recent development comes on the heels of another unfavorable outcome for farmers in India’s Punjab, which alone accounts for around 40 percent of the country’s Basmati exports. Unhappy with the fumigation process — an integral part of Basmati export, to keep the rice free of pests — in Punjab and Haryana, following a biosecurity audit of nearly 70 facilities, suspended approval for several of those providers. Now, the country is likely to send back 50 to 60 containers of Basmati rice, as farmers stare at losses running into millions of dollars.
The fight over Basmati in Australia has been going on for years. APEDA first applied for a certification trademark in 2019, arguing that Indian Basmati has Geographical Indication status and that the variety had a strong presence in Australia.
The figures showed the strength of the Indian product in that market. Between 1988 and August 2018, around 306,095 tonnes of Indian Basmati were sold through Australian retail outlets, worth USD 380 million. Pakistani sales during the same period were worth USD 44.12 million.
But the Australian trademark office rejected APEDA’s application in January 2023. Its argument was that India could not be recognized as the sole producer of Basmati because the rice is also grown in neighboring Pakistan.
APEDA then challenged the decision in the Australian Federal Court and sought a fresh hearing. The court has now rejected that plea as well.
The decision means Indian exporters will not get an exclusive position in the Australian Basmati market. India exported around 72,500 tonnes of rice to Australia between June 2025 and May 2026, worth about USD 77 million. India’s annual Basmati exports are worth around USD 6.3 billion.
According to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, India is Australia’s fifth largest trading partner with two-way trade in goods and services valued at AUD 50.2 billion (USD 35.8 billion) in 2025.
Meanwhile, India has also faced similar problems in securing exclusive recognition for Basmati in New Zealand and Kenya, while its application in the European Union has been pending since July 2018.
