GI tag sought for the Senkanthal seed whose flower holds a special place in Tamil literature
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Minister for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare M.R.K.Panneerselvam, while presenting the State’s Agriculture Budget, had said that Geographical Indication tag would be obtained for 10 agricultural products at a cost of ₹30 lakh
The Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board has sought Geographical Indication (GI) tag for seven products from the State — Senkanthal seed, Kolli Hills pepper, Ayyampalayam Nettai Thennai, Tirunelveli Senna leaf, Sathyamangalam red banana, Urigam puli and Odaipatti seedless grapes.
The application was filed and facilitated by the NABARD – Madurai Agribusiness Incubation Forum (MABIF). The team from NABARD- MABIF did the data collection, groundwork, tracing of history and consolidating proof of origin for each of these products with the support of local farmers and officials from the Agriculture department in the respective districts.
While presenting Tamil Nadu’s Agriculture Budget for 2024-2025, Minister for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare M.R.K.Panneerselvam had said that during 2024-2025, Geographical Indication tag would be obtained for 10 agricultural products at a cost of ₹30 lakh. These seven are among the 10 products mentioned by the Minister in the Budget.
The GI tag has been sought for the seed of Senkanthal flower (Gloriosa superba) — the State flower of Tamil Nadu. The flower holds a special place in Tamil literature, art and culture, and is often associated with the State’s identity and heritage. According to details in the filing, “The ovary is superior with numerous ovules and there are six extrorse anthers, up to four centimetres long. It has a 6 to 12-centimetres-long capsule fruit with red seeds.”
The second product that has been listed is the Kolli Hills pepper which is obtained from the perennial climbing vine, Piper nigrum, which is indigenous to the tropical forests of the Western Ghats of South India. It is one of the important and earliest known spices produced and exported from India. It is grown on about 1.36 lakh ha of land with an annual production of 32,000 tonnes, largely distributed in Kerala (94%) and Karnataka (5%), the rest being Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and northeastern States, especially Assam.
The well-known Ayyampalayam Nettai Thennai (coconut) is renowned for its towering stature, often exceeding 100 feet. These majestic trees yield a crop distinguished by its exceptional sweetness and high oil content, showcasing oval-shaped nuts with unparalleled resilience to both drought and disease. The trunk of a mature Ayyampalayam Nettai Thennai is slender, tall and straight. It can reach heights of up to 32 metres (104 feet) or more.
The Tirunelveli Senna leaf is a shrubby plant. Senna is used in treating constipation, by stimulating intestinal peristalsis. It is useful in painful haemorrhoids, as it ensures soft and easy bowel movements. The paste of Senna leaves is used to treat various skin diseases like acne, eczema, etc.
And the Odaipatti seedless grapes from the Odaipatti region in Theni are favoured for their seedless nature, making them popular for both direct consumption and processing. These grapes are cultivated on around 1,000 acres involving about 200 farmers of the region. Typical yield is about 10-12 tonnes per acre under optimal conditions, though recent adverse weather conditions have drastically reduced the expected yield to about 2-3 tonnes per acre. Odaipatti seedless grapes thrive in a sunny and dry climate. However, excessive heat, particularly temperatures exceeding 38-39 degrees Celsius, can severely affect the yield by causing flower abortion and increased susceptibility to diseases. They are usually harvested in September after a one-year growth period.
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