Guwahati: Two agricultural crops from the northeastern Indian state of Assam have been accorded Geographical Indication (GI) right that is expected to bolster their commercial prospects.
The GI Registry of India has selected ginger produced in the Singhasan Hill of Karbi Anglong district and litchi produced at Lichu Pukhuri in Tezpur town and at Porowa near this north bank district headquarter town of Sonitpur for the new recognition.
The GI right acts as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities and is made according to traditional methods. It enjoys a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin.
The North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd (NERAMAC) had applied for GI registration of both the items on August 29, 2013, the Assam Tribune reported on April 1.
According to the GI Registry, the serial number for GI registration of Karbi Anglong ginger is 226 and its APPLICATION number is 435, while the serial number of Tezpur litchi is 230 and its application number is 438. Both the items were accorded GI registration in the period between April 2014 and March 2015, – November 25, 2014 for Karbi Anglong ginger and November 27, 2014 for Tezpur litchi.
Seven other agricultural items from the northeastern India were also given GI rights during the same period.
They are Naga Tree Tomato of Nagaland, Arunachal Orange of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim Large Cardamom of Sikkim, Mizo Chilli of Mizoram, Tripura Queen Pineapple of Tripura, Khasi Mandarin of Meghalaya and Kachai Lemon of Manipur.
The NERAMAC application for GI rights claimed that Karbi Anglong ginger and Tezpur litchi are important cash crops and spices grown in India and in many other tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. India exports ginger to more than 50 countries, particularly to the Middle East.
NE India is considered an important ginger growing are. It is cultivated as a cash crop, mainly in the jhum fields spread over the hills and plains of the tribal dominated areas of the entire region.
Karbi Anglong produces the best organic ginger in the world. Growers of Karbi Anglong produce mainly two varieties of ginger-Nadia with high fiber and Aizol with less or no fiber. Aizol is more in demand and has negotiating value in domestic as well as international markets.
The average annual production of ginger by the farmers of Karbi Anglong is 30,000 tons and about 10,000 farmers are involved in growing this item.
Tezpur Litchi is also grown completely under organic condition. It is an attractive item of the fruit markets of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, among others. The popular varieties of litchi grown in Tezpur include the Bombaya, Bilayati, Desi, Elachi, Piyaji and Chinese.
The five-bigha litchi orchard of the Lichu Pukhuri was set up by noted litterateur Late Padmanath Gohain Baruah between 1922 and 1924, while he was the chairman of the Tezpur Municipal Board. It has 26 litchi trees.
At Porowa, about 400 bighas of land are covered by litchi farming. The Porowa litchi orchard was started by Late Surjya Prasad Shing in 1954. Litchis from Porowa are exported to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Rajasthan and also to United States of America. About 50 farmers are involved in the Porowa litchi orchards.