GS PAPER III: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment.

Context: In a major boost to exports of Geographical Indications (GI) certified agricultural produce, a consignment of fibre and mineral rich ‘Jalgaon banana’ has been exported to Dubai.

What is GI Tag?

• A GI is a name or sign used on certain products that corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin, such as a town, region or country.
• It indicates a community's intellectual property attached to that particular product.
• A GI helps the community get a premium price for the product, such as the world-renowned Darjeeling tea.
• The tag creates a distinct identity, assures the buyers of quality, brings reputation to the product and creates an international market for it.
• The GI tag creates an immediate export market for these agricultural products, most of which are from villages.
• The products will be recognized for their nutritional or scientific importance at the national as well as global level.

Jalgaon banana

• Jalgaon in Maharashtra is known as the capital city of bananas and the quality of fruit from the area is different because of the proximity to Tapi river.
• The minerals and fibres in the fruit lend it a unique quality, which makes the Jalgaon soil unique for banana cultivation.
• The area also produces the highest quantity of bananas in the country
• India is the world's leading producer of bananas with a share of around 25% in total output. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh contribute more than 70% of the country's banana production.

APEDA efforts:

• APEDA promotes exports of agricultural & processed food products by providing assistance to the exporters under various components of its scheme such as Infrastructure Development, Quality Development and Market Development.
• APEDA also conducts international Buyer Seller Meets, Virtual trade fairs with importing countries to promote agricultural & processed food products.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1727440

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