The first shipment of Geographical Indication (GI) certified Bhalia variety of wheat was exported on Wednesday to Kenya and Sri Lanka from Gujarat.
The GI certified wheat has high protein content and is sweet in taste. The crop is grown mostly across Bhal region of Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Anand, Kheda, Bhavanagar, Surendranagar, Bharuch districts.
The unique characteristic of the wheat variety is that grown in rainfed conditions and cultivated in about two lakh hectares in Gujarat.
The Bhalia variety of wheat received GI certification in July, 2011. The registered proprietor of GI certification is the Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat.
This is expected to give boost wheat exports, said a press release from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products’ Authority o India (APEDA).
In 2020-21, wheat exports witnessed a significant growth of 808 per cent atto ₹4,034 crore from ₹444 crore in the previous fiscal. In US dollar terms, the exports rose by 778 per cent to $ 549 million.
India exported substantial quantity of grain to seven new countries – Yemen, Indonesia, Bhutan, Philippines, Iran, Cambodia and Myanmar during 2020-21.
In the previous financial years, only small quantities of wheat were exported to these countries.