The Tandur Redgram or tur dal has secured the coveted Geographical Indications tag. The farmers body that filed the application has made a commitment to use blockchain technology to guarantee the traceability of Tandur Redgram’s authenticity. Telangana now has 16 products with GI tag among 432 approved tags in the country.
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GI tags are key identifiers of uniqueness and are increasingly becoming part of region-focussed marketing effort. Now, the farmers in the region can bag and tag their products as the Tandur Redgram contains about 22-24% protein, which is almost three times that of other cereals.
“Currently, around 63,500 families (including farmers, cultivators, agricultural labourers, and traders) in the region are involved in the cultivation of ‘Tandur Redgram’ in Telangana State. The estimated total production relating to ‘Tandur Redgram’ is about 4.75 lakh quintal in a given year from the Tandur Region of Telangana,” informed Subhajit Saha, who filed the GI application on behalf of Yalal Farmers Producers Company
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The four districts Vikarabad, Narayanpet, Sanga Reddy and Adilabad contribute for more than 50% of total area (1.74 Lakh hectares). The deep black soil with deposits of Attapulgite clay in Tandur Region along with limestone deposits can be attributed for the specific quality traits of Tandur Redgram.
The GI officials have been promised that the farmers body will create a internal watchdog to monitor the quality of the dal. “The inspection board will advise farmers to adhere to the various techniques involved in Tandur Redgram cultivation and not to compromise on the distinctiveness and quality of Tandur Redgram. It is planned for the team to include representatives from local NGOs and farmer,” according to a communication by the farmers body sent to Registrar of Geographical Indications, Chennai.
The Central government has earmarked ₹75 crore Budget to create awareness about GI across the country.