Karnataka Current Affairs – KAS/KPSC Exams – March 12th

Arecanut gets its first GI tag to ‘Sirsi Supari’

• For the first time in the arecanut sector, the ‘Sirsi Supari’ grown in Uttara Kannada has received the Geographic Indication (GI) tag. It is cultivated in Yellapura, Siddapura and Sirsi taluks.
• The Totgars’ Cooperative Sale Society Limited, Sirsi, is the registered proprietor of the GI.
• The Registrar of Geographical Indications, under the Union Government, Chennai issued the certificate to the society on the same on March 4, 2019. Its GI number is 464.
• According to it, the particualr arecanut “is medium in size, somewhat flat rounded in shape, somewhat ash coloured, and has hard seed.”
• The arecanut grown in these taluks have unique features like round and flattened coin shape, unique texture, size, cross sectional views, taste etc.
• These features are not seen in arecanut grown in any other regions. Its average dry weight is 7.5 gram and average thickness is 16 mm.
• The particular variety has a unique taste due to differences in their chemical composition. Total average flavonoids content in it is around 90 whereas in others it is around 80.
• The total carbohydrates in ‘Sirsi Supari’ are 23 % to 26 %, total arecoline is 0.11 % to 0.13 %, total tannin content is 14.5 % to 17.5 %.
• The process of obtaining the tag had begun in 2013. It took about six years to get it due to the scientific research proof to be submitted to prove its uniqueness.
• ‘Sirsi Supari’ is used both as ‘chali’ (white arecanut) and red arecanut. The ‘chali’ variety is made by peeling the ripened nuts and sun drying it later.
• While the red arecanut is produced by harvesting the tender nuts, boiling and colouring them, making them into different grades and finally sun drying them.

Geographical indication

• A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country).
• The use of a geographical indication, as a type of indication of source, may act as a certification that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods, or enjoys a certain reputation, due to its geographical origin.
• Appellation of origin is a subtype of geographical indication where quality, method and reputation of a product strictly originate from the delineated area defined under its intellectual property right registration.
• Governments have been protecting trade names and trademarks used in relation to food products identified with a particular region since at least the end of the nineteenth century, using laws against false trade descriptions or passing off, which generally protect against suggestions that a product has a certain origin, quality or association when it does not.
• In such cases, the limitation on competitive freedoms which results from the grant of a monopoly of use over a geographical indication is justified by governments either by consumer protection benefits or by producer protection benefits.