GI tag soon to all Udupi jasmine growers

Udupi: Farmers growing Udupi jasmine within the district here will soon get the ‘Geographic Indication’ (GI) tag.

Presently, only 50 Udupi jasmine growers registered with the Udupi Jasmine Growers Association of Udupi have received the GI tag. But there are about 10,000 farmers in all taluks of the district who grow the Udupi jasmine. They cannot sell their produce as Udupi jasmine if they do not get a GI tag.

The Association has moved to give GI tags to all unregistered jasmine growers in the Udupi district. The GI certificate issuing authority, based in Chennai, has agreed to issue certificates to all Udupi jasmine growers in the Udupi district.

Arrangements have been made to apply for the GI tag at Bantakallu Engineering College. The college is doing the registrations free of charge.

“We are giving GI tags to Udupi jasmine growers in Udupi district. We will be arranging special centres for registration in the next 15 days. This will help about 5,000 members and workers in about 250 village committees, said Bantakallu Ramakrishna Sharma, president of Udupi District Farmers Association.