Unjha Cumin and Fennel Receive GI Tag

14-Jul-2026 07:51 PM

Rajkot: Cumin and fennel produced in Unjha, located in North Gujarat, have been granted Geographical Indication (GI tag) status by the Geographical Indications Registry. It is noteworthy that Unjha is one of India's premier trading hubs for spices, where fenugreek is also traded on a large scale alongside cumin and fennel. Apart from these spices, Gujarat also produces significant quantities of coriander.

Obtaining the GI tag will assist Unjha's processors and traders in developing and expanding the branding of cumin and fennel, widening the scope of exports, and securing better returns for producers.

A government statement noted that concerted efforts were made by various institutions and agencies to secure the GI tag for cumin and fennel. These included the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Unjha, the Gujarat Government's Department of Horticulture and Farmers' Welfare, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), among others.

With the granting of the GI tag, these two spices (cumin and fennel) have gained recognition as distinctive products of the Unjha region in North Gujarat. Unjha is a world-renowned production and trading hub for cumin and is the leading center for the production and trade of fennel.

The GI tag certification provides legal protection to these spices; no other country will now be able to misuse the product's geographical identity or successfully trade its own spices under this name or brand. India remains the world's largest producer, consumer, and exporter of these two important spices.