• The succulent Banganapalle mango has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, making Andhra Pradesh the proprietor of the variety known for its sweetness.
• The Andhra Pradesh government is the registered proprietor of the GI tag for mangoes, often hailed as “the king of fruits.”
• A GI tag indicates that the product comes from a specific region.
• Banganapalle mangoes have been grown for over 100 years in the State. It also known as Beneshan, Baneshan, Benishan, Chappatai and Safeda.
• Besides, they are also called Banaganapalli, Banginapalli, Banaganapalle.
• The fruits can retain their quality under cold storage even up to three months, Andhra Pradesh government said in documents seeking GI.
• The prominent characteristic of Banganapalle mangoes is that their skin has very light spots, stone is oblong in shape and has very thin seed with sparse and soft fibre all over.
• The primary centre of origin of the fruit is Kurnool district comprising Banaganapalle, Paanyam and Nandyal mandals, according to the Andhra Pradesh government which mentioned Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra as secondary centres of origin.
• The government has also listed Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Medak and Adilabad districts in Telangana as secondary centres of origin.
• Submitting documents for proof of origin, it also cited historical records like a “war fund seal (Banganapally-State Madras War Fund Seal).”

About GI Tag:

• GI is covered under the Intellectual Property Rights and the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.
• A GI tag certifies the origin of a product or produce from a particular region as the quality or other features of the product is attributable only to the place of its origin.
• The tag helps farmers or manufacturers, as the case may be, to get a better price in the market.