(MENAFN- KNN India)
New Delhi, Jan 31 (KNN) The Ministry of Agriculture has launched a comprehensive initiative urging states to strengthen their geographical indication (GI) infrastructure, aiming to help farmers secure better prices and expand their reach in global markets.
The ministry's directive focuses on establishing dedicated nodal agencies at both state and district levels, coupled with specialised marketing platforms to promote GI-tagged products.
A GI tag, which serves as an intellectual property right unique to specific geographical regions, has been awarded to 242 agricultural products since the implementation of the Geographical Indications of Goods Act in 2003.
Notable examples include Basmati rice, Darjeeling tea, Kashmir Saffron, and Nagpur oranges. The total number of GI-registered products across all categories, including manufacturing and handicrafts, stands at 658 under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, in his communication to state chief secretaries, emphasised the substantial untapped potential for identifying and registering more products for GI certification.
The ministry has recommended prioritising farmer producer organisations, cooperatives, and agricultural market committees as primary stakeholders in the GI registration process.
The initiative encourages states to develop targeted marketing strategies through collaboration between agriculture, horticulture, and food processing departments.
These strategies particularly emphasise the use of online platforms and e-commerce to expand market reach. The ministry maintains that establishing robust GI systems at state and union territory levels will protect unique crop varieties while preserving the cultural and geographical identity of agricultural products.
Unlike traditional intellectual property rights such as trademarks and patents, which are granted to individuals, GI registration provides exclusive rights to entire communities within defined geographical areas.
This distinction makes GI certification particularly valuable for agricultural, natural, or manufactured goods whose unique qualities are intrinsically linked to their place of origin.
(KNN Bureau)
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