Pakistan will soon apply for geographical indictions tagging for its famous Khwera rock salt, reported Dawn. The move would prevent Indian traders, which currently market it with its own branding in European and US markets. 

Pakistan’s cabinet has recently approved a decision to make the Pakistan Minerals Development Corporation (PMDC) a registrant agency for rock salt produced in the country. The corporation has already finalized requirements for registration of rock salt with the Geographical Indications (GI) registry, under the management and control of the Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan). 

Thereafter, they plan to file registration for the same at foreign markets. Presently, Indian traders market the salt under its own brand name ‘Himalayan Pink Salt’, and fetch handsome rates for the product. 

In Pakistan, Dawn reported, small traders handle this trade, which lack fund and capacity to attractive packaging and marketing. Also, the policy support from the government in terms of loans and funding is also nonexistent. 

“Currently, rock salt was neither a lucrative commodity for exports nor was Pakistan selling the rock salt as a commercial and industrial product,” Brig. (Retd) Iqbal Malik, the managing director of the PMDC, was quoted as saying by Dawn.

 “Soon after the GI tagging at international markets, Pakistan will be in a position to sign long-term sale contracts with buyers abroad,” he said. 

The salt, which is sold at $0.16 per kilogram, at max, in the local market in Pakistan, fetches from $0.46 per kilogram to $ 4.5 per kg based on the quality of packaging and marketing.