What a GI tag is
A Geographical Indication ties a product name to a place. In India it is handled under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which the Nashik grape page on Wikipedia names when describing the Nashik grape GI. For Cumbum, the name "Cumbum Panneer Thratchai" links the grape to the valley.
The pages we read for Cumbum do not set out the rules for using the name, so we do not describe them here.
Who applied and when
A January 2021 DT Next report says the application was filed by the Kaamayam Thratchai Vivasayigal Sangam of Theni, a farmers' society registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, with help from the NABARD Madurai Agribusiness Incubation Forum. At that time the application was pending with the Registrar of Geographical Indications.
BananaIP, an intellectual property news site, reported that "Cumbum Panneer Thratchai, a grape variant, has been applied for a Geographical Indication tag", citing a bulletin. It names the same applicant and does not give a date.
The reports of the grant came in April 2023. BYJU'S notes say the tag was received in April 2023. BankExamsToday dates its report 17 April 2023. Krishi Jagran gives a publication date of 12 April 2023.
Details that conflict
- Krishi Jagran says the application was submitted in January 2023, but the 2021 DT Next report already shows it pending. One of these is likely wrong.
- Krishi Jagran lists Srivilliputtur Palkova as receiving a GI along with Cumbum grapes, but the 2021 DT Next report already lists Srivilliputhur Palkova as a GI product. This suggests the Krishi Jagran list needs checking.
- Area figures differ: 2,000 acres across ten villages in most reports, but 5,000 acres in FreshPlaza.
When news sources disagree like this, the registry record is the proper reference. The registry page for this application is at the Indian GI registry site, but our tool could not open it, so we cannot report the application number, the class, or the certificate date.
What the reports say about the product
- The grape is grown in the Cumbum Valley, Theni district, in the Western Ghats region.
- It is described as about 85 percent of Tamil Nadu's grape area.
- Uses listed include wine, spirits, jams, canned juice and raisins.
- FreshPlaza says the GI helps export prospects. This is the report's claim and we have not checked it.
What the GI does not say
The GI is for the registered name "Cumbum Panneer Thratchai". The reports we read do not say how the name may be used on packs or by traders, so please do not assume any wider meaning.
MM Rooted Ventures does not describe its own products as GI-tagged, and readers should not read this article as saying so.
If you need the GI details for a legal or export document, please check the live record on the Indian GI registry site and the published GI journal.
Frequently asked questions
When did Cumbum Panneer Thratchai get the GI tag?
News reports place it in April 2023. We could not open the registry record to confirm the exact date.
Who applied for the GI tag?
The Kaamayam Thratchai Vivasayigal Sangam of Theni, a farmers' society, according to DT Next and BananaIP.
Does the GI mean every Panneer grape is GI-tagged?
The reports describe the GI as Cumbum Panneer Thratchai, grown in the Cumbum Valley. They do not say how it applies to other Panneer grapes, so do not assume it does.
Sources
- Farmers in Theni seek GI tag for 'panneer' grapes grown in Cumbum - DT Next (2021)
- Cumbum Panneer Thratchai applied for GI - BananaIP news
- Tamil Nadu's Cumbum Grapes Secure Coveted GI Tag - Krishi Jagran
- Cumbum Grapes - BYJU'S IAS notes
- Tamil Nadu's famous 'Cumbum Grapes' gets GI tag - BankExamsToday
- Successful grape cultivation in India's Cumbum valley - FreshPlaza
- Tamil Nadu grapes get Geographical Indication tag - FreshPlaza
- Nashik grape - Wikipedia