Erode’s unique turmeric gets a GI tag

  1. Geographical Indication Registry of India has accorded Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Erode turmeric.It is  grown mainly in Erode district of Tamil Nadu.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. India is the world’s largest producer of Turmeric.Tamil Nadu is the third largest grower of turmeric in the country.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.