Chinnor Rice Of Balaghat Madhya Pradesh's 1st Agro Produce To Get GI Tag

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In a major boost to farmers of the tribal-dominated Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh, local rice brand Chinnor known for its special fragrance, softness and taste, has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the central government entity.

Grown across Balaghat, around 400 km from Bhopal, the rice brand is known for its special aroma even uncooked, softness when cooked with a delightful taste. Experts suggest that its aroma only grow further when cooked.
Balaghat, commonly called as the rice bowl of Madhya Pradesh produces one of the finest indigenous varieties of rice in the country.
According to the farmers, Chinnor is derived from chiknaiyukt nokdaar sugangdhit chavurwhere chi comes from chiknaiyukt, no from nokdaar and va ra from Balaghat and called as chavur in the local language.

The cooked rice is soft, white in colour, slightly sticky, sweet and easily digestible with a strong pop-corn like aroma. Although the uncooked rice is aromatic; its aroma significantly increases after cooking.
The cultivation of Balaghat Chinnor rice requires well-prepared fields and extra care to maintain the purity of the grains. Organic manure is applied for its cultivation to maintain its aroma and softness,
To maintain the originality and purity of the Chinnor rice variety, the farmers of the Balaghat generally select and pick the panicles of the crop from the field before harvesting and put them for drying.
The dried bulk is threshed and kept for future use as seed.
The applicants besides referring to the old administrative records had referred to historical books for suggesting that Chinnor was grown historically in the tribal district.
It is also grown with the name Bhandara Chinnor in Vidarbha, Maharashtra farmers too had applied for the GI tag with the ICAR, Hyderabad.
This is the first such GI tag for an agriculture product in Madhya Pradesh.
The State government had undertaken the promotion of this product under one district one product scheme.
Hundreds of farmers of 25 villages in the district are growing this rice.
MP is also entangled in an IPR feud with Punjab over the GI tag for Basmati rice.
Due to its pleasant aroma, sweetness and the ability to make milk thick, it is widely used for making kheer in homes and temples in Balaghat district.
The priests offer Chinnor rice kheer as bhog to deities in temples in Balaghat district.
The cropping location and weather conditions of Balaghat contribute to its aroma and softness.
The clay loam soil found in Balaghat district is favourable for its cultivation.
The farmers are extremely particular about maintaining the originality and purity of Chinnor rice and generally select and pick the panicles (top part of the rice plant) of the crop from the field before harvesting and lay them out for drying.
The dried portion is threshed and retained as seed for future use. Chinnor seeds have a unique physical characteristic that makes them easily identifiable. The shape of the apex of the seed and the grain look like the tip of a sword.
Farmers carefully prepare the field using desi plough called locally as chiratha and level the ground using patha after the onset of the monsoon.
Farmers believe that only desi plough, datari and patha should be used for field preparation as tractor drawn equipment significantly impacts the soil condition and soil compaction.
Usual milled rice is low in micronutrient content because its nutrient-rich superficial layer is removed during rice milling and polishing operations. This makes the grain taste better and visually appealing but less nutritious.
Rice can be fortified by adding a micronutrient powder containing iron, folic acid and other B-complex vitamins, vitamin A and zinc,which then sticks to the grains. A vitamin and mineral mix can also be sprayed on the surface of ordinary rice grains in several layers to form a protective coating.

What is GI Tag?

A geographical indication (GI) tag is applied to an agricultural, natural, or manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial items) that originates from a certain geographic area.
Typically, a name like this offers a sense of quality and uniqueness, which is largely due to its place of origin.

History Of GI in India

TRIPS – 1994 by WTO
India – A signatory of TRIPS in 1994
India enacted The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 [GI act]
Came into force with effect from 15 September 2003