In a major embarrassment for the Horticulture Department, the Geographical Indication (GI) tag accorded to ‘Kamalapur red banana’ of Kalaburagi district in 2009 has lapsed as the department failed to renew the certification.
Kamalapur red banana got GI tag on September 4, 2009, and the certification was valid till September 3, 2018. The Office of GI Registry, Chennai, had issued a notice of expiration of GI registration in January 2018 and asked the applicant to get the tag renewed.
Suraj Patil, president of Red Banana Growers’ Association in Kamalapur, said though Kamalapur red banana has great demand in the market, most farmers don’t take the risk of experimenting with the rare crop as its survival rate is low. It cannot withstand winds of even average velocity. Earlier, Kamalapur red banana was grown only by a couple of farmers, that too in Kamalapur. Now, between 20 and 30 farmers in Kamalapur, Rajnal, Okali and Nadvinhalli villages grow it. In normal banana plants, the bunches attain maturity in three to five months; for red banana, it takes almost a year.
Mr. Patil said the banana is sold for anything between ₹120 and ₹150 per dozen. The fruit has high demand in metros and neighbouring States, where it fetches around ₹200 a dozen.
Six varieties of banana across the country have GI tag. The certifications of five of them — all except Kamalapur red banana — have been renewed. Nanjangud banana of Karnataka got GI tag in 2005 and has validity till 2025. Two varieties of banana in Tamil Nadu — Virupakshi Hill banana and Sirumalai Hill banana — got GI tags in 2008 and have validity (post-renewal) until 2028. The Chengalikodan Nendran banana grown in Kerala and Jalgaon banana of Maharashtra got GI tag in 2014; both certifications are valid till 2024. Mizo banana (Long Cavendish) of Assam filed application for GI tag in 2018, and is yet to be certified.