News Excerpt:

Efforts are being made to expand the cultivation of geographical indication (GI)-tagged Onattukara sesame.

About the scheme:

• The Kerala government has launched an incentive scheme for farmers to grow sesame on fields and homesteads.
• The aim is to increase the area under sesame cultivation in the region to 2,000 hectares, with incentives given to individuals, farming collectives, Kudumbashree groups, self-help groups, and joint liability groups.
• It is a joint initiative between local Krishi Bhavan, Onattukara Vikasana Agency (OVA), Onattukara Regional Agricultural Research Station (ORARS), Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kayamkulam, and Mavelikara Thekkekara panchayat.
• It will provide financial assistance of ₹40 for a cent (435.56 square feet) of land for sesame cultivation.
• The seeds will be distributed from Thekkekara Krishi Bhavan, and the OVA will procure the sesame produced at the market price.
• It will also allow farmers and groups to use the workforce of Thekkekara Karshika Karma Sena and a tractor for field preparation and other activities.

Onattukara Sesame:

• The sesame seeds grown in the Onattukara region have exceptional medicinal benefits due to their high levels of Vitamin E and antioxidants.
• They also contain oleic acid, linoleic acid, and palmitoleic acid, essential for maintaining good health.
• In addition to the traditional Ayali variety, farmers in the region are also growing other varieties, such as Kayamkulam-1, Thilak, Thilathara, and Thilarani, developed by ORARS.

Other GI products from Kerala:

• Alleppey Green Cardamom
• Brass broidered coconut shell craft of Kerala
• Chendamangalam saree
• Kasaragod saree
• Kuthampully Saree
• Malabar pepper
• Pokkali Rice
• Screw pine craft of Kerala
• Wayanad Gandhakasala rice, etc.

Prelims PYQ

Q. Which of the following has/have been accorded ‘Geographical Indication’ status?       (UPSC 2015)

1) Banaras Brocades and Sarees

2) Rajasthani Daal-Bati-Churma

3) Tirupathi Laddu

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 only 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Q. India enacted The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 in order to comply with the obligations to     (UPSC 2018)

(a) ILO

(b) IMF

(c) UNCTAD

(d) WTO