Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 10: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo, today chaired a meeting to evaluate the Geographical Indication (GI) status of five recently recommended crops from Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Secretary APD, Special Secretary APD, Directors of Sheep Husbandry and Animal Husbandry in both Kashmir and Jammu, Directors of Sheep Husbandry and Horticulture in Jammu and Kashmir, Director of Agriculture, Jammu, Technical Officers from APD, heads of Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and other concerned both in person and online.
The meeting commenced with presentations by the TWG heads, who provided updates on progress of GI certification applications for the newly recommended crops including Kevur, Lakhanpur Bhalla/Bada, Thandi Khui ki Barfi, Kud Ka Patisa and Pecan nut.
During the detailed discussion, the TWG heads shared their work on each crop, presenting evidence of origin backed by historical data, emphasizing the unique characteristics of each crop and highlighting their distinct features.
Dulloo encouraged the TWGs to prioritize historical data and literature based evidence, ensuring a robust foundation for successful GI certification of these crops.
He asked them to seek guidance from experts and consult relevant departments with knowledge, evidence and historical background information on these crops.
Dr. Rajni Kant, a GI expert from Varanasi, provided valuable feedback during the meeting. He emphasized the significance of product inheritance and the distinctive attributes of each crop to minimize the risk of rejection during the GI registration process.
Dr. Kant’s said that his team is actively working on identifying additional evidence to support comprehensive GI applications for these products.
The meeting decided to work speedily towards filing GI applications for Kud’s patista and Thandi khui barfi, while acknowledging the need for further work to gather evidence for the other three products.
Atal Dulloo expressed his commitment towards completing all the necessary formalities, gradually initiating the application process in a timely manner.
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