Salem Sago Gets GI Tag
Salem Starch and Sago Manufacturers Service Industrial Cooperative Society Limited (popularly known as SAGOSERVE), has recently received the Geographical Indication tag or GI tag for Salem Sago.
Sagoserva, established in 1981, is a co-operative society with 374 members from various districts including Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Erode, Perambalur, Trichy, Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram. This recognition of Salem sago with GI tag is expected to boost business opportunities for sago farmers and traders in the region.
Tamil Nadu contributes significantly to the national sago production, accounting for 40% of the total production. Salem holds the leading position in sago production in Tamil Nadu.
How to get sago:
- Sago is manufactured from crushed wet starch powder from tapioca roots.
- Tapioca is a major horticultural crop, cultivated in about 3 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu, producing 60 lakh tonnes of the crop.
- Sago was first produced in Salem district, which is the main center of cottage scale sago production in the country.
- Sago obtained from raw tapioca (cassava) is in the form of small hard globules or pearls and is white in color.
Geographical Indication:
- The term Geographical Indication is defined under Article 22(1) of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
- Any producer in India, be it an individual, group of people, organization or legal entity, can apply for the GI tag.
- GI tag is given mainly to agricultural, natural or manufactured goods having unique properties, fame or other characteristic features attributed to its geographical origin.
- A GI tag is a type of intellectual property right (IPR) that differs from other forms of IPR in that it reflects community exclusivity in a specifically defined location.
- According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Geographical Indications Tag is a type of label in which a product is given special geographical identity.
- GI tag is given by the Department of Industry Promotion and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce.
- In India, registration of GI tag is regulated by the ‘Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. Its registration is valid for 10 years, and after 10 years the registration can be renewed again.
Benefits of GI Tag:
- It provides legal protection to geographical indications in India and prevents unauthorized use of registered geographical indications by others.
- It promotes economic prosperity of the producers of goods produced/manufactured in the geographical area.
Source – Indian Express
