|
|
|
GI tag to J&K saffron and promotion of Kashmiri products
|
|
|
|
Top Stories |
|
|
|
|
IANS | 29 Jun, 2022
The J&K government has launched new initiatives to promote the
marketing and export of specific products from the union territory.
Geographical Indication (GI) tagging is also one such initiative which
would go a long way in marketing and exporting specific products like
saffron.
Kashmir saffron, which is cultivated and
harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir, has been given
the GI tag by the Geographical Indications Registry. The spice is grown
in some regions of Kashmir including Pulwama, Budgam, Kishtwar and
Srinagar region of J&K.
This is a landmark development. The
application was filed by the Directorate of Agriculture, Government of
Jammu & Kashmir and facilitated by the Sher-e- Kashmir University of
Agriculture Science and Technology, Kashmir and Saffron Research
Station, Dussu (Pampore).
With the GI tag for Kashmir saffron,
India has become the only saffron producing country for which the
indication has been assigned. India as a signatory of WTO's TRIPS (Trade
Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) and an active member
of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) has a law for
protection of GI, viz "Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration
and Protection) Act, 1999. The GI tag is issued after the GI registry
under the Department of Promotion, Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT),
Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
According to the World
Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), GI is a sign used on products
that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a
reputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as a GI, a
sign must identify a product as originating in a given place.
In
India, Karnataka has the highest number of GI tags, i.e., 47 products
followed by Tamil Nadu (39). At international level Germany has the
largest number of GIs in force (9,499), followed by China (7,566), the
EU (4,914), the Republic of Moldova (3442) and Bosnia and Herzegovina
(3,147).
Saffron growers of Kashmir are hopeful to get better
prices for their product after the introduction of GI tag. This would
enable India to be an important player in the global saffron market in
which Iran, the world's largest producer of saffron in the world, has
the largest market share.
Kashmir saffron is grown at an altitude
of 1600m to 1800m above mean sea level, which adds to its uniqueness in
comparison to other saffron varieties.
The Government of India
and UT of J&K are together taking steps to promote Kashmiri products
with their own unique selling proposition (USP). With the vision to
promote sustainable trade and create market linkages, a mega buyer --
seller meet was organised on April 21, 2022 at Jammu and Kashmir under
One District One Product Initiative (ODOP) of (DPIIT), Ministry of
Commerce and Industry with the support of Jammu & Kashmir Trade
Promotion organisation (JKTPO).
The ODOP initiative, which is an
outcome of the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self- Reliant India, programme aims
at increasing farmer's and small scale industries' income covering
about 700 products cutting across sectors like agriculture, textiles,
handicrafts and manufacturing. There are many Kashmiri products which
may be popularised for their USP including carpets, shawls, wood
carving, phoolkari, etc. There are some specific agricultural and
horticultural products including apple and saffron and sericulture
products. Kashmir has the best quality Bivoltine Meberry silk in India.
This silk is well- known for superior quality, soft texture, extended
length and adaptability to all types of climate changes.
Alongside
the buyer-seller meet, an e-commerce boarding session was also held by
one of the leading e-commerce players in the country in order to support
J&K based sellers to expand trade into web-based sales. Previously,
the ODOP initiative had facilitated the sale of 6750 Kgs of apples and
2000 Kgs of walnuts from Budgam, Kashmir to Karnataka based buyers who
were previously importing the same.
The Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has also
begun new initiatives to popularise some of the agricultural products
from the union territories of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh such as fragrant
rice variety Mushkbudji, Acacia honey and Kashmir valley apples.
Already, commercial shipments of Ladakh Halman apricots from Leh to
Dubai have begun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Customs Exchange Rates |
Currency |
Import |
Export |
US Dollar
|
66.20
|
64.50 |
UK Pound
|
87.50
|
84.65 |
Euro
|
78.25
|
75.65 |
Japanese
Yen |
58.85 |
56.85 |
As on 13 Aug, 2022 |
|
|
Daily Poll |
|
|
PM Modi's recent US visit to redefine India-US bilateral relations |
|
|
|
|
|
Commented Stories |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|