Kashmir Willow Cricket Bat To Get GI Tag

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The Kashmir Willow Cricket Bats are famous across the world. And now the government is in process of getting a GI (Geographical Indication ) tag for Kashmiri Bats.
A recent study shows that it will serve as a great marketing strategy for selling these bats in international markets.

A study was released recently by the Finance Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman called “Indian Sports Goods Industry: Strategies for Tapping the Export Potential”. As there are no registered GIs in the sports goods industry in India.
The study revealed that “Kashmir willow bat is one such product, which holds significance as it is made from some of the best quality wood in the world

There are more than 200 Bat making factories in Kashmir and hundreds of people earning their livelihoods. Covid had hit the industry badly as they hardly had any new orders but now the makers are hoping that things will change after GI Tagging.
The bat makers in Kashmir are eagerly waiting for the GI Tag. ”It’s a good step by the government and we have been expecting it.
The government is helping the small scale industries at the moment and due to this Kashmir willow will get the recognition it deserves.
The maximum number of bats are made in Kashmir.
Now with the tagging, they can send our bats across every country. They can sell online with the tag and earn customer trust

Importance

They make more than 2 lac bats every month in Kashmir in around 200 factories. It will be honour to make bats that will be picked by international players. Their bats have recently been taken by two specially-abled Kashmiris who are selected in the Indian team to play in an ODI in Bangladesh.
The Kashmir willow bats fetch a maximum of Rs 3,500 rupees per bat, as against the English willow bats whose retail price range is between $220 to $450 per bat in the international markets.
GI tag sought for India’s costliest mushroom
The Jammu and Kashmir Government recently sought GI tag for Gucchi mushroom. The Gucchi mushrooms are highly expensive and are full of health benefits. 500 grams of Gucchi mushrooms cost Rs 18,000.
Recently, GI Tag was provided to Saffron of Jammu and Kashmir.
Gucchi mushroom is a species of fungus belonging to the family Morchellaceae. They are pale yellow in colour with large ridges and pits on their cap.
They are raised on a large white stem. The Gucchi mushrooms are locally called “Thuntoo”.
The Gucchi mushrooms cannot be cultivated commercially. They grow in the conifer forests of Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
It takes months for the villagers to collect these mushrooms, dry them and bring them to the market.
The Gucchi mushrooms grow in clusters on logs of decaying wood, humus soil and leaves.
The Guchhi mushrooms cannot be cultivated commercially for their nature of germination. They germinate and grow in low temperature soil. They usually appear after fires.
The fruiting of Gucchi mushrooms require alkaline conditions produced by wood ash mixed with water. These criteria make commercial cultivation of Gucchi highly challenging.
Jammu & Kashmir
- Kani Shawl
- Kashmir Pashmina
- Kashmir Paper Machie
- Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving
- Khatamband
- Kashmiri Hand Knotted Carpet
- Saffron (Mongra, Lachha, Guchhi)

GI TAG

Geographical Indication is a tag used on products, natural or man-made, associated with a particular region or geographical location in a country.
GI tag can be given to a wide range of products – agricultural, handicraft, food stuff or manufactured goods.
GI tag is an acknowledgement of the intellectual property of the product.
It originates from a definite territory in India.
Once the GI protection is granted, no other producer can misuse the name to market similar products.
It also provides comfort to customers about the authenticity of that product.
A registered Geographical Indications prohibits a third party to use such GI by any means in the designations or presentations of goods indicating that such goods originate in a geographical area.

Till now around 370 products have been added to the GI list.
Karnataka has the highest 42 Geographical Indication tagged products in the country.

1.Geographical Indication (GI) tag is given as per the ……….
(a) Indian Copyright Act, 1957
(b) New Design Act, 2000
(c) Patent Act, 1970
(d) Geographical Indications (Registration and Protection) Act,1999