- Geographical Indication Registry of India has accorded Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Erode turmeric.It is grown mainly in Erode district of Tamil Nadu.
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the ginger family.The plant’s underground stems or rhizomes have been used as a spice,dye,medicine and religious maker since antiquity.
- The spice’s colour comes mainly from curcumin,a bright yellow phenolic compound that has been in the news for its ostensible potential to fight cancer. As a result,the demand for turmeric with high curcumin content has risen.
- India is the world’s largest producer of Turmeric.Tamil Nadu is the third largest grower of turmeric in the country.
- A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.GI tags are given on the basis of the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act,1999.
- GI tag secures the quality and authenticity of a product to a particular geographical origin.It provides legal protection from duplication.The first product to get GI tag was Darjeeling Tea.