Hyderabad: Telangana’s celebrated Balanagar sitaphal, renowned for its sugar-sweet pulp, is a step away from securing a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, with the final field inspection scheduled for April 22 across orchards in Mahbubnagar, Rangareddy and Vikarabad districts.Traditionally harvested from wild groves and sold by itinerant vendors on Hyderabad’s outskirts, the fruit shot to fame after its pulp became a flagship flavour at the iconic Moazzamjahi Market ice-cream parlour in the 1950s. The medium-sized green custard apple contains 29.6 per cent carbohydrates, 5.2 per cent protein and 19.4 per cent vitamin C — nutrient levels that surpass most other varieties. The variety is marked by its adaptability, high yields. A GI tag will give branding rights for Balanagar sitaphal, especially as demand for custard-apple pulp and powder surges in the ice-cream industry. A GI tag is given to products linked to a specific geographical location. It is a certification of the product’s quality, reputation, or characteristics that are unique to its place of origin. Dr Saidaiah Pidigam, dean of the College of Horticulture, Mojerla, and principal investigator for the GI project, said a report will be filed with the Chennai-based GI registry immediately after the visit. “Once approved, the growing region will be officially demarcated, bringing global recognition and premium prices to local growers,” he noted. The GI bid has financial backing from Nabard, which sanctioned ₹12 lakh for pre-registration studies, filing fees and post-registration promotion. “We view the Balanagar sitaphal as a holistic rural-development project,” said Swati Tiwari, Nabard’s deputy general manager, adding that the bank has supported 116 GI products nationwide, including Telangana’s Pochampally Ikat. Intellectual-property practitioner Subhajit Saha, whose firm IPRAS is preparing the application, said up to a dozen more Telangana products could be filed within a year. “Authorised-user certificates will give farmers, foragers and processors exclusive branding rights, especially as demand for custard-apple pulp and powder surges in the ice-cream industry,” he explained. If granted, the GI tag will raise Telangana’s tally to 19 and turn this once humble forest fruit into a certified symbol of regional pride. Balanagar sitaphal ripe for GI tag, will put Telangana on global map.
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