The Gobindobhog rice gets Geographical Indication (GI) status

Gobindobhog rice from Burdwan district of West Bengal has recently got the Geographical Indication (GI) status. As a result of getting the GI tag, rice from other regions or rice of other varieties cannot be branded as ‘Gobindobhog’. Hence, the marketability of the rice would be strengthened, for the local, national and international markets.
The region of Burdwan (now divided into the districts of east and west Burdwan) is known as the rice bowl of Bengal. This variety of rice is primarily cultivated in east Burdwan district – in the southern basin of the Damodar river in the Raina 1, Raina 2 and Khandaghosh blocks. The south Damodar belt has been the traditional area of Gobindobhog rice cultivation.
The rice has several advantages. It is cultivated late and therefore not much affected by rains. It is less prone to pests as well. The productivity per area is high and farmers get better prices for Gobindobhog rice.