The Hindu Business Line : Karnataka to seek GI tag for more crops

Karnataka, which has got GI (geographical indication) tag for six crops in the State, is planning to bring more crops under the net. In this regard, the Karnataka Horticulture Department is planning to hold a workshop next month to elicit information about the crops requiring GI status.

In an informal chat with presspersons here on Friday, Mr P. Ganeshan, Secretary, Department of Horticulture, Karnataka, said that 11 crops have got GI tag in the country. Of them, six are from Karnataka. They are jasmine varieties from Udupi, Mysore and Hadagali; a variety of banana from Nanjanagud; tender beetle leaf from Mysore; and orange from Kodagu.

Apart from them, several other crops are eligible for GI tag. “We have to register them under GI and give them to the future,” he said.

Workshop

In this regard, a one-day workshop at Biotechnology Centre at Hulimavu near Bangalore will be held by the end of January. The workshop will help in taking forward the process of registering the crops. At least, 25 more crops from the State are eligible for GI tag, he said.

Mr Ganeshan said that the traditional flowers from the country require international recognition. Flowers such as jasmine and marigold, which have good potential, need to be highlighted in the international arena, he said.

Marketing flowers

On improving the marketing infrastructure for flowers, the Department has prepared a detailed project report on establishing marketing-cum-collection centres in six places in the state.

A proposal has been prepared under the ‘Rashtriya Kisan Vikas Yojna’ for this purpose. Once established, these centres will act as feeder channel to the International Flower Auction Centre in Bangalore, he added.