Now, isabgol
after turmeric and basmati, Psyllium husk (sat isabgol) is on the hit list of multinationals for patenting exclusive marketing rights overseas. Psyllium husk is widely used for its medicinal properties both in India and abroad. However, while the market for Psyllium husk has stagnated in India, there is a growing demand in the West due to the palatable formulation of the product.
It is alleged that us-based Proctor and Gamble is trying to patent isabgol products. Proctor and Gamble imports 35 to 40 per cent of the product. Over 90 per cent of the total Psyllium husk is exported. A Japanese firm, for instance, is busy extracting injectable formulations.
Just like basmati, sat isabgol has a geographic appellation - which means that it has its origin in a particular geographic area - the narrow semi-arid belt on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border.
The total production of seeds out of which the husk is produced is processed by about 30 units in the unorganised sector. These manufacturers, already at the mercy of a highly speculative market which is also in the hands of the multinationals for decades, now fear that they might lose out on export, given the speed at which value additions are being developed in the West.