Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand district has received the first-ever Geographical Indication (GI) marking for a farm product.
Authorities announced on Monday that the indigenous wheat variety, commonly referred to as Kathiya Gehu (wheat), has been awarded the esteemed Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Bhupesh Pal, the Assistant General Manager of NABARD Jhansi, stated that an application for the GI certification was submitted in January 2022 by a local FPO, Khatiya Wheat Bangra Producer Company Limited, with the backing of NABARD and technical guidance from Padma Shri awardee Rajnikant Rai, the director of Human Welfare Organisation in Varanasi.
Following a lengthy two-year process, the GI tag was issued with certificate number 585 on March 30, 2024.
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“Getting the GI tag—the first for any farm commodity in the region—is a significant accomplishment for the Bundelkhand region. This will support the promotion of this locally grown wheat variety that is high in protein and requires very little irrigation, according to Pal.
Meanwhile, the director of research at Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University (RLBCAU), S.K. Chaturvedi, stated that Kathiya wheat, or Durum wheat, is quite common in this area. It is healthier in addition to being high in nutrients since it is gluten-free.
He mentioned that it can thrive in harsh climatic conditions with minimal water requirements.
Kathiya’s GI tag validation will increase the brand value of the food and encourage the prosperity of the local farmers. “In collaboration with the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), RLBCAU has initiated a larger study on wheat to obtain new varieties of seed that can increase its output,” said S.K. Chaturvedi.
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