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‘Sunderban Honey’ gets GI tag, certificates to be given soon.
Jan 05, 2024

Sunderban Honey’, which is exported to different parts of the country and abroad, has been registered and recognised as a GI (Geographical Indication) product.
 
'The honey collectors, popularly known as ‘maula’ take risks to venture deep into the forest of the Sunderbans for honey collection. Hence, this honey getting the GI tag has special significance,' said Ujjal Biswas, Minister in Charge of Science and Technology and Bio-Technology department which is also the nodal department for GI matters.
 
More than 2000 families in Sunderbans earn their living through honey cultivation. Every year from March- April, the Forest department issues boat licenses (BLC) to traditional honey collectors so they can enter the forest to collect honey. The entire collection is purchased and marketed by West Bengal Forest Development Corporation Ltd. (WBFDCL).
 
The application process of seeking a GI tag for the Sunderbans honey dates back to 2020 when a Pune-based organisation applied to the Centre for the tag for Sunderban honey. When the matter was brought to the notice of the Science, Technology and Bio-Technology department, they took it up with WBFDCL and collected all relevant materials and documents associated with this collection process that has been in place for four decades and made a fresh application for GI tag.
 
In December 2022, the GI authorities conducted an online meeting attended by state government officials concerned and a section of the ‘Maula’. The entire process was deliberated in detail and the GI authorities decided that WBFDC should be the original applicant. Finally, the state government has been informed that Sunderban Honey has been recognised for GI. 'The certificate will be handed over to us soon,' a WBFDCL
 
official said.
 
The state government ensures that the maulas get a minimum support price for the hard work and risk they take during honey collection. Individual janata insurance to the tune of Rs 5 lakh each is provided to everyone who ventures into the forest.
    
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