GI tagged, but what’s the future?

Goa as the smallest state in India, has already acquired five GI (geographical Indication) tags – for Feni, Khola chilli, Harmal chilli, Goan khaje and the Myndoli banana. The process of acquiring a GI tag for a product is quite cumbersome, but the recognition it comes with is immense. However, other than feni, the other GI tagged products seem to be facing a bleak future. A GI certification sure gives a product a branding that boasts of its superior quality, but very few people are aware of the benefits that come with such a tag.

No awareness about GI Tags and its benefits

Rajaram Chanekar from Bicholim has been working hard to get more khaje makers on board to give the Goan sweet its due, however he says that not many are aware of what a GI tag entails. “I have been requesting my fellow khajekar to get themselves enrolled in the association, to avail all the benefits, but some don’t even have an FSSAI approval for theirbusiness, and don’t even know what a GI tag is. We need more awareness about GI tags,” he says. The khaje doesn’t contain any dye or colours and are made fresh after two days.”

Ashok Dhauskar, who has been cultivating the Myndoli Bananas for generations, said that over the years people have given up cultivating this variety, owing to various reasons. “This variety of banana is often affected by diseases, some other plantations find it difficult to find raw matter and thus the produce is much less as compared to the effort that goes into it. The government too, has not done much to promote the product. This affects the price point as well – (they are sold at about Rs 250 per dozen) and we get higher rates during Ganesh Chathurti. Some of the bananas are exported to Bombay to make chips. Right now, only about 30-50 families in Pernem cultivate these bananas,” says the president of the association.

Acquiring a GI tag is an arduous journey

Talk about the GI tag in Goa and the first thing that pops up in one’s mind is Feni; but Gurudatta Bhakta, says getting the tag was one long journey. “People are aware of Feni getting the GI tag, because there were a lot of people involved in making the product a premium brand. But, it was a long journey. A lot of it is how we market the item to make people buy it.”

Rajaram adds, “When I go to colleges to give a talk about khaje, and I ask the students if they know what a GI tag means, the answer in the negative. It would be a different thing if they didn’t know GI products, but they don’t even know what a GI tag is and why it’s important. I have been selling this product overseas to various countries, but in Goa I cannot find a place to sell. I can even increase the rate of the product as premium, but I haven’t done so. I’m making some attractive packaging so I can sell it to tourists too.”

Ratnakar Punuvelip, the president of the community that plants the Khola chillies, says, that more production is needed. “People have realised that there is a market for these chillies, and while they keep as much as they need, the rest is sold at fairs and to government stores for Rs 1,500-1,300 a kilo. However, the production is low. Also, anyone growing outside this geographical area of Khola, cannot sell these chillies as a GI product.,” says Ratnakar, who is in plans of making a Khla chilli powder too.



Other products are passed off as GI tagged

Many sell Harmal chilies in the market, but are they actually from Harmal? Lavu Ankush Thakur, who worked to get the GI tag for these chillies says that people have been misusing the GI tag and selling off the chillies from other states as Harmal chilies. “There was a spice exhibition in Delhi held some years ago when Harmal chilies had already got the GI. We met a lady who claimed to be from Harmal, but later, we realised that she had bought a place here and was selling other chilies under the guise of Harmal chillies.” He adds that many people at the Mapusa market pass off similar looking chilies as Harmal, but these are grown in other states. “Harmal chilies which are sold at Rs 1200 per kilo, have a distant feature – they have more seeds as compared to those grown elsewhere and the outer skin is softer,” says Thakur.

Mac Vaz, who played a key role in getting cashew feni its GI tag, opines that the aim of a GI tag is to protect a product’s equity. “Here the excise department and the FDA are primary departments that need to assert and draw the lines. Unfortunately, in the recent past, stakeholders are bottling alcoholic beverages – not feni from the cashew apple juice – and surfing under the goodwill of the feni brand, like it is happening with saffron from Kashmir.”



Lack of publicity for GI products

The Department of Science and Technology, the nodal agency that undertakes the GI registrations in Goa, states that for a tag, the product must be unique to Goa. “As of now we have five GI tags on various produce, and by the yearend, we target securing GI registrations for another 25 products, for which the work has already begun. The Taleigao brinjal will get its tag in another 2-3 months. The work is in progress,” says Deepak Parab, the nodal officer for patent facilitation. He points out that the to help promote GI produce, the union finance minister at the union budget session mentioned that all states should set up a unity mall, at prominent tourist spots which will sell GI products and other handicrafts. “This will encourage the local farmers to produce items and sell for a higher cost margin, he adds.




Himanshu Parab Deputy Director (ADM/INDs), Directorate of Industries, Trade and Commerce, says “Government is promoting food processing industries under the PMFME Scheme. Apart from individual enterprises, farmer producers organizations, and Self help Groups also can set up food processing units under this scheme. Under this scheme training is provided to all interested entrepreneurs at Indian Council of Agriculture Research premises in Old Goa to better manage their raw material and transform them into finished products. They are given inputs on packaging material, latest machines, and technology. Apart from this, assistance is provided to producers of GI items to participate in Exhibitions and Trade fairs so that they can reach a wider market and expand their business. A khola chilli cluster is also being planned under the SFURTI scheme which will help promotion of this product.”






All about GI:

Why the GI tag is important?

Economic prosperity of the manufacturers and producers.

Encourages and motivates the marketers to expand their business at a global level

Helps in tourism, how??



Department which handles GI tags

Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of Goa




Goan Items that got GI tagged

-Feni (2009)

-Khola Chilli (2019)

-Harmal Chilli (2020)

-Goan khajjem (2020)

-Myndoli Banana (Moira Banana) (2020)





Items which are in the process of getting tagged.

-Bebinca

-Agassaim brinjals

-seven-sided okra (Saat Shireacho Bhendo)

-Mancurad Mango

-Goa Cashew