3 key Arunachal GI-tagged products to be showcased in International Trade Fair in Delhi

Itanagar/New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) Three GI tagged products, supported by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Arunachal Pradesh government, are being showcased for the first time in the ongoing 42nd India International Trade Fair (IITF) in Delhi's Pragati Maidan, officials said on Thursday

An official in Itanagar said that the three Geographical Indication (GI) tagged products -- Arunachal Pradesh Khamti Rice,Yak Churpi, and Tangsa Textiles -- have received the reputed GI tag this year with national GI technical facilitator and expert Dr Rajnikant the key person spearheading the registration of these prominent and unique products.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY) Director, Dr Mihir Sarkar said that the Khamti Rice and Yak Churpi are the first agriculture and food products and Tangsa Textile, the second textile product of Arunachal Pradesh, to have obtained GI certification.

This provides a better opportunity for generating livelihood and income through expanding both the national and international marketability of the product by assured authenticity and quality products supplied to consumers, he said.

Sarkar said that Khamti rice is a chewy sticky rice variety cultivated in the Namsai region of Arunachal by Khampti tribal farmers. The rice is unique and used by the locals for preparations of various traditional delicacies.

The Yak Churpi is a fermented home-made, casein-based cottage cheese like product prepared from raw skimmed and fermented yak milk of the Arunachali yak breed.

Owing to its uniqueness and potential for socio-economic upliftment of its producers, ICAR-NRC on Yak, Dirang, under the guidance of Dr Sarkar took the task of registering this product. He considered the GI tag of Yak Churpi to be a boon to the yak pastoralist which would help increase the accessibility, authenticity and marketability of the product.

The Tangsa Textile is the traditional craft product of the Tangsa tribe of Changlang district, renowned for their unique exotic designs and vibrant colours reflecting the cultural richness of the region.

The Himalayan Yak has also got the food animal tag from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in November last year.

Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir have the largest population of around 26,000 Yaks, followed by around 24,000 in Arunachal Pradesh, mostly in Tawang and West Kameng districts, 5,000 in Sikkim, 2,000 in Himachal Pradesh and around 1,000 in North Bengal (West Bengal) and Uttarakhand.

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