Five agricultural products of Kerala get GI tag, taking the total count to 17

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Last Updated18/12/2022

Five agricultural products of Kerala have been granted Geographical Indication (GI) status.
Attappady Attukombu Avara (beans), Attappady Thuvara (red gram), Onattukara Ellu (sesame), Kanthalloor-Vattavada Veluthulli (garlic), and Kodungalloor Pottuvellari (snap melon) are the latest Geographical Indications that have been registered.
The unique features of the products, imparted by the agro-climatic conditions of the geographical area of their production, are the basis for getting Geographical Indication tag.

Attappady Attukombu Avara (beans): Cultivated in the Attappady region of Palakkad, is curved like a goat’s horn as its name indicates.
Its higher anthocyanin content, compared to other dolichos beans, imparts violet colour in the stem and fruits.
Attappady Thuvara (red gram): It has seeds with white coat. These are bigger and have higher seed weight than the regular variety.
Kanthalloor-Vattavada Veluthulli (garlic): Compared to the garlic produced in other areas, the garlic from the Kanthalloor-Vattavada area of Devikulam block panchayat in Idukki contains higher amount of sulphides, flavonoids, and proteins.
Onattukara Ellu(sesame) and its oil are famous for its unique health benefits.
Relatively higher antioxidant content in Onattukara Ellu helps in fighting the free radicals which destroy the body cells.
Kodungalloor Pottuvellari(snap melon): cultivated in Kodungalloor and parts of Ernakulam is consumed as juice and in other forms.
This snap melon, which is harvested in summer, is excellent for quenching thirst.

With the latest five GIs, 17 agricultural products of Kerala facilitated by Kerala Agricultural University have received the GI status.