Kalaburagi Tur Dal, the pigeonpea of Karnataka's Kalaburagi region, has been exported to the Maldives after receiving Geographical Indication (GI) recognition, which ICAR describes as an important milestone for the region's growers.
The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Kalaburagi and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur played a key role in the GI registration, according to ICAR's Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute for Zone XI in Bengaluru. The KVK's farmer network and regular training made farmers aware of GI protection and what it could do for them.
After the recognition, the KVK went on working to keep quality up, raise output and add value, running large demonstrations of location-specific technologies: improved varieties, moisture conservation and integrated management of pests, diseases and nutrients.
ICAR says the GI tag has given the dal a distinct identity and wider market opportunities for pigeonpea growers and others in the value chain, and that the export shows the international potential of the region's best-known pulse. It credits the joint efforts of UAS Raichur, KVK Kalaburagi and the farmers.
Photo: Wibowo Djatmiko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: ICAR
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