HP Agriculture University trying to get GI tag for crops, other products: VC

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 4

The CSK HP Agriculture University here has been making efforts to get a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for important crops of the state.

After getting the GI tag, growers will get special rights over these distinct crops and farm products and reap rich dividends by selling these.

TO SET UP GERMPLASM RESOURCE NETWORK

• The HP Govt has sanctioned funds to the tune of Rs 2.50 crore. The CSK HP Agriculture University has planned to utilse the fund to set up a Germplasm Resource Network
• It’s a basic and most-coveted facility to conserve Himalayan crops and plantland races for future posterity, and sustainable utilisation of novel genes in the ongoing improvement endeavours for varied agroclimatic conditions of Northwest regions

According to Vice Chancellor Prof HK Chaudhary, the crops selected for the GI tag are Japonica red rice, Bharmour, Barot and Kinnaur ‘rajmash’; Karsog, Shillai and Chamba ‘urdbean’; Karsog kulthi; Kullu, Kangra and Mandi red rice; and Chamba’s ‘chukh’, antique jewellery, animal breeds and their products.

He said there were a good number of field crops such as rice, barley, ‘rajmash’, ‘kulthi’, mash, and potential crops such as buckwheat, amaranthus, chenopodium, millets, ‘kala zeera’, orchids, bamboo, forages, garlic, ginger, red ginger, ‘jimikand’, cucumber, ‘kakadi’, ‘ghandiyali’, radish, ‘kakora’, ‘tardi’, ‘lingroo’; and animals — Pahari cattle and buffalo, Spiti horse and donkey; Rampur Bushair and Gaddi sheep; Chegu and Gaddi goats; Himachali yak; snow trout; Golden Mahseer, carps and hill stream fish — had drawn the attention of the university for the GI tag.

The VC further said unique traditional jewellery of Gaddi women such as ‘chak and chiri’, ‘chandan har’ and ‘champakali’, ‘loung’, ‘koka’, ‘tilli’ and ‘balu’, ‘bunde’, ‘jhumke’, ‘kante’, ‘latkni’; ‘tungni’ and ‘kanphuls’, ‘gojru’, ‘toke’, ‘kangnu’, ‘snangu’, ‘singhi’ and ‘pari’, and medical products such as white honey from Bharmour; aphids honey dew from Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur, wild mushroom (Kira jari), and woollen products such as ‘charkhani pattu’, ‘dohroo’, ‘pude’ and pashmina from Chegu goat had also been shortlisted for the GI tag.

“The university is collaborating with the HP Council for Science, Technology and Environment, HP Patent Implementation Centre, Shimla, for its efforts to get the GI tag as scientific and technical data has to be generated for each and every crop, animal or other distinct products.”

The VC said in the recent past, the university made successful efforts and got certain research projects sanctioned, which would help in determining the distinct traits of the selected crops.

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