GI certified Bhalia variety of wheat exported to Kenya, Sri Lanka from Gujarat:Commerce min

The first shipment of Geographical Indication (GI) certified Bhalia variety of wheat was exported to Kenya and Sri Lanka from Gujarat, the commerce ministry said on Wednesday.

Under Geographical Indication (GI) law, a product is identified as a good or an item manufactured or produced in a particular region. It enjoys a specific reputation that is attributable to that geographical region.

It is a legal right under which the GI holder can prohibit others from using the same name.

The ministry said that GI-certified wheat has high protein content and is sweet in taste and the crop is grown mostly across the Bhal region of Gujarat which includes Ahmadabad, Anand, Kheda, Bhavanagar, Surendranagar, Bharuch districts.

The unique characteristic of the wheat variety is grown in rainfed conditions without irrigation and cultivated in around two lakh hectares of agricultural land in Gujarat.

In 2020-21, wheat exports from India increased to Rs 4034 crore from Rs 444 crore reported in the previous fiscal.

India exported a substantial quantity of grain to seven new countries - Yemen, Indonesia, Bhutan, Philippines, Iran, Cambodia, and Myanmar during 2020-21.PTI RR SHW SHW