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Assam tea gets GI status

By Rituparna Goswami Pande |
Assam tea has reached new heights with the recent conferring of Geographical Indications label ,GI status to the Orthodox Assam tea. Orthodox tea is the second Assam product to bag the GI label after muga silk. The GI label is exclusive to only a handful of generically identifiable products such as Swiss watches, Czech crystals, champagne, Mysore sandalwood oil and Kancheepuram silk.

There are certain requirements that the product has to fulfill before getting the GI status. The products should have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are special to that particular state or place of origin to qualify for the GI status.

The GI status is going to be hugely beneficial for Assam tea as it would now prevent replication in other parts. Darjeeling Tea which got the GI status in 2003 is incidentally the first Indian product to get the certificate.

The GI status will help Assam tea to get international recognition. Assam produces about 20 million kg of orthodox tea a year.

The International tea convention held in Guwahati is a historic event in not only for the tea fraternity but the entire northeast. IITC 2007, the abbreviation for the Indian International Tea Convention 2007, has been popularly dubbed as the Great Indian Tea party will showcase India’s quality tea products and Assam would be highlighted in the best possible light.

The tea industry is the most vibrant of all industries of our country. Tea baron BM Khaitan had rightly said, tea is not a mere commodity for us. It is a heritage based on the values and culture, full of sentiments.” And very truly said indeed.
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