Wayanad Jeerakasala rice

Wayanad Jeerakasala rice
Geographical indication
Description	Wayanad Jeerakasala rice is an aromatic rice cultivated in Kerala.
Type	Aromatic rice
Area	Wayanad district
Country	India
Registered	4 October 2010
Official website	ipindia.gov.in

Wayanad Jeerakasala rice is a variety of traditional, non-basmati, medium-grained aromatic rice with golden yellow colour, mainly grown in the Indian state of Kerala. ^{[1] [2] [3]} It is a common and widely cultivated crop in Wayanad district. ^{[4] [5] [6]} The other variety from the same region, Wayanad Gandhakasala rice, is known for its sandalwood-like flavor, while Wayanad Jeerakasala rice resembles cumin seeds in both appearance and taste. ^[7]

Under its Geographical Indication tag, it is referred to as "Wayanad Jeerakasala Rice". ^[8]

Name

Wayanad Jeerakasala rice is a prized crop in Waynad and so named after the location. "Jeera" means cumin while "Kasala" means seed in the local state language of Malayalam.

Description

List of characteristics and facts about Wayanad Jeerakasala Rice:

Characteristics

• Wayanad Jeerakasala Rice is famous for its fragrance and aroma of Cumin. ^[9] Its uniqueness is attributed to the climatic conditions, varietal characters, and organic cultivation methods. Grown in Wayanad's valley bottom, the low temperature regime encourages the cultivation of this scented rice variety. ^{[8] [10]}

Cultivation

• Wayanad Jeerakasala Rice is cultivated in the Nancha season (Kharif) using traditional knowledge and practices. ^[11] The tribes of Wayanad, including Kurichyas and Kurumas, rely on paddy for their livelihood and food security. ^[12] The Wayanad Chettis, Kurichya, and Kuruma tribal groups traditionally cultivate this variety, committed to conserving it for future generations. ^[13]

Usage

• This rice is used for preparing Ghee rice, also called "Neichore", a delicacy of the Muslims of Kerala, and is a major Mappilah cuisine. ^[8] Wayanad Jeerakasala rice is also used for preparing Uppuma, Payasam, Puttu, and rice flakes (aval). ^[14]

Geographical indication

It was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry, under the Union Government of India, on 4 October 2010 and is valid until 22 September 2029. ^[15]

Kerala Agricultural University from Thrissur & Wayanad Jilla Sugandha Nellulpadaka Karshaka Samithi from Wayanad, proposed the GI registration of Wayanad Jeerakasala rice. ^{[16] [17]} After filing the application in September 2009, the rice was granted the GI tag in 2010 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai, making the name "Wayanad Jeerakasala rice" exclusive to the rice grown in the region. ^[18] It thus became the third rice variety from Kerala after Pokkali rice and the 20th type of goods from Kerala to earn the GI tag.

The GI tag protects the rice from illegal selling and marketing, and gives it legal protection and a unique identity.

References

1. Laladhas, K. P.; Nilayangode, Preetha; Oommen, Oommen V. (15 November 2016). Biodiversity for Sustainable Development. Springer. p. 232. ISBN   978-3-319-42162-9 . Retrieved 15 December 2024.
2. Organization, World Intellectual Property (29 September 2011). Food Security and Intellectual Property - How the Private and the Public Sectors Use IP to Enhance Agricultural Productivity. WIPO. ISBN   978-92-805-2122-1 . Retrieved 15 December 2024.
3. Manoj, E. M. (28 October 2022). "Wayanad farmer creates Ashoka Chakra using tambo art". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
4. Verma, Deepak Kumar; Srivastav, Prem Prakash; Nadaf, Altafhusain B. (7 December 2018). Rice Science: Biotechnological and Molecular Advancements. CRC Press. ISBN   978-1-351-13656-3 . Retrieved 15 December 2024.
5. Manoj, E. M. (20 November 2019). "On a 13-acre Wayanad park, rice is the star". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
6. Lalitha, N.; Vinayan, Soumya (4 January 2019). Regional Products and Rural Livelihoods: A Study on Geographical Indications from India. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-909537-7 . Retrieved 15 December 2024.
7. Sharma, Shatanjiw Das; Rao, Udayagiri Prasada (2004). Genetic Improvement of Rice Varieties of India. Today and Tomorrow's Printers and Publishers. p. 700. ISBN   978-1-55528-291-2 . Retrieved 15 December 2024.
8. Bhattacharya, Niharika Sahoo (13 September 2022). Geographical Indication Protection in India: The Evolving Paradigm. Springer Nature. ISBN   978-981-19-4296-9 . Retrieved 15 December 2024.
9. Sharma, Shatanjiw Das; Rao, Udayagiri Prasada (2004). Genetic Improvement of Rice Varieties of India. Today and Tomorrow's Printers and Publishers. ISBN   978-1-55528-291-2 . Retrieved 17 December 2024.
10. Roy, Chandan (17 July 2018). The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Agriculture and Allied Sciences. CRC Press. ISBN   978-1-351-12526-0 . Retrieved 15 December 2024.
11. Thomas, Aleena (25 November 2020). "Why climate change studies on rice production are important in Wayanad". Down To Earth. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
12. Gopikrishna Warrier, S. (23 January 2016). "Rice genome under threat in unique rice growing valley" . Nature India. doi:10.1038/nindia.2016.9 . Retrieved 17 December 2024.
13. Freese, Tina (26 December 2022). "Kerala's 72-YO 'Guardian of Native Paddy' has Saved 54 Rice Varieties in 20 Years". The Better India. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
14. Service, Express News (10 April 2022). "Organic farm expo in Ernakulam evokes good response". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
15. Kallungal, Dhinesh (9 June 2014). "Indigenous Kaipad Rice Gets Geographical Indications Tag". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
16. Mohanty, Samarendu; Chengappa, P. G.; Hedge, Mruthunjaya; Ladha, J. K.; Baruah, Sampriti; Kannan, Elumalai; Manjunatha, A. V. (7 June 2017). The Future Rice Strategy for India. Academic Press. ISBN   978-0-12-809297-2 . Retrieved 15 December 2024.
17. "Kerala Agri University tops among institutions securing GI tags for proposed products". English.Mathrubhumi. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
18. Blakeney, Michael; Siddique, Kadambot H. M. (22 June 2020). Local Knowledge, Intellectual Property and Agricultural Innovation. Springer Nature. ISBN   978-981-15-4611-2 . Retrieved 15 December 2024.