
On Saturday, the Ministry of Commerce announced that a consignment of Geographical Indication (GI) certified Fazil mangoes, which are sourced from West Bengal’s Malda district has been exported to Bahrain.
The GI tag is a sign used for an agricultural, natural, or a manufactured product like handicraft and industrial goods originating from a specific geographical location and is issued on the basis of per the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
Additionally, the tag helps growers receive a premium price for their products as well as preventing other producers from unauthorized uses of a registered GI. It conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is mainly attributable to the place of its origin.
Darjeeling Tea (West Bengal), Nagpur Orange (Maharashtra), Solapur Chaddar (Maharashtra), Mysore Silk (Karnataka), Aranmulla Kanna (Kerala) among others are some of the registered GI tags in the country.
Reportedly, in June 2021, a week-long Indian mango promotion program was conducted in the Middle Eastern country of Bahrain where 16 mango varieties including three GI certified Khirsapatin and Lakshmanbhog of West Bengal and Bihar’s Zardalu were presented.
The Ministry stated separately that for the promotion of agricultural crops while adhering to global practices, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in collaboration with Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), traders, exporters, agricultural scientists alongside the government of Uttar Pradesh and other institutions had held a meeting in Varanasi.