MP Seeks GI Certification For 3 crops, Cultivated By Tribals

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has applied for Geographical Indication (GI) certification for three crops cultivated by the tribals in the state.

Of them, two are millet varieties.

The state government has sent the proposal for GI certification for two millet varieties, Sitahi Kutki and Nagdaman Kutki, and another crop, Baingani Arhar (purple pigeon pea), to the GI Registry in Chennai, officials said here on Tuesday.

The GI tag for the three crop varieties, known for their medicinal properties and high nutritional value, will guarantee their authenticity and quality, increasing their demand in the international market, officials said.

The move is a part of strategy to boost production of millet and other crops cultivated by the tribals in the state during 2026, which is declared as Year of Farmers Welfare in Madhya Pradesh.

The millet variety of Sitahi Kutki is a short-duration (60 days) indigenous variety of Little Millet, which is drought resistant, and immune to attack of major pests such as shoot fly, as well as diseases like grain smut and brown spot, providing stable yield for the farmers.

The crop can be cultivated in the hilly areas, uneven and low-fertility soils.

The crop is cultivated in around 10,395 hectares by nearly 6,000 tribal farmers in Dindori district in Madhya Pradesh, with a stable yield of 10-11 quintals per hectare.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Agriculture University, Jabalpur, in Madhya Pradesh has documented the crop for seeking GI tag.

The other millet variety of Nagdaman Kutki is a unique local variety of Kutki cultivated in the tribal-dominated district of Dindori.

The crop is known for its medicinal properties and high nutritional value.

The Baingani Arhar is a special variety of pigeon pea characterized by a purple tinge on the plant or prods. It is known to be rich in protein and disease resistance.