The Geographical Indication (GI) tag has been granted to 13 agricultural products from the northeastern region of India, allowing 800 farmers and entrepreneurs to use the tag. The GI tag is a recognition that a product originates from a specific geographical region and has unique qualities that are linked to that region.
The products include Arunachal Orange, Tezpur Litchi, and Karbi Anglong Ginger from Assam, Kachai Lemon and ‘Chak-Hao’ Black Rice from Manipur, Khasi Mandarin Orange and Memang Narang Orange from Meghalaya, Mizo Chilli from Mizoram, Naga Tree Tomato and Naga Sweet Cucumber from Nagaland, Queen Pineapple from Tripura, and Sikkim Large Cardamom and Dalle Khursani Chilli from Sikkim.
The North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC), which is under the DoNER Ministry, will send the 800 user authorization applications for these products to the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai.
The GI tag provides legal protection to the producers of these products and ensures that their unique qualities are not imitated by producers from other regions. It also helps to promote and market these products both nationally and internationally, potentially increasing their value.
The DoNER Ministry has been actively working to promote agriculture and allied sectors in the northeastern region, which has unique natural resources and agricultural products. The grant of the GI tag to these 13 products is expected to benefit the farmers and entrepreneurs who produce them, as well as promote the region’s agriculture and allied sectors.
