Farmers, agricultural scientists, and experts in Western Rajasthan have raised strong objections to the Geographical Indication (GI) tags recently granted for 'Unjha Cumin' and 'Unjha Fennel' to the Unjha Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Gujarat's Mehsana district, arguing the registrations were secured on misleading grounds. The objectors contend that Unjha is a trading hub — not a cultivation region — and that the tags could erode the agricultural identity and price premium of Rajasthan-grown spices.

The Core Dispute

The GI Registry in Chennai awarded the tags to the Unjha APMC, a move that has triggered alarm among farming communities across Rajasthan. Critics argue that GI tags are designed to recognise products whose distinctive qualities are intrinsically linked to their geographical place of origin — including soil, climate, and traditional cultivation practices — not to the commercial scale of a trading market.

Unjha, they point out, is widely recognised as India's largest spice trading hub for cumin and fennel. Rajasthan farmers have sold their produce in Unjha for decades, swelling its trading volumes. However, the actual cultivation of these crops, objectors argue, is rooted in the arid landscape and farming traditions of Western Rajasthan.

Formal Objection Filed

The Jodhpur-based South Asia Biotechnology Centre has submitted a detailed objection to the GI Registry, seeking a review and full revocation of the registrations. Dr. Bhagirath Choudhary, Founder Director of the Centre, said the issue goes to the heart of intellectual property and geographical rights of farming communities.

'GI protection should be granted to products based on their place of cultivation and the unique natural and traditional characteristics associated with that region,' Dr. Choudhary said. He argued that granting GI recognition primarily on the basis of a market's commercial reputation would 'undermine the core purpose of the GI system and could adversely affect producers in cultivation regions across the country.'

Impact on Rajasthan Farmers

Farmers from Undu village in Barmer district and the Pindwara region of Sirohi district have voiced concern that the Unjha Fennel GI tag could overshadow the distinct identity of Rajasthan-grown fennel. According to the objectors, if the registrations remain in force, cumin and fennel cultivated by lakhs of farmers in Rajasthan could increasingly be marketed under the Unjha identity — since much of the produce is already traded there.

This, they warn, could dilute Rajasthan's agricultural brand, depress farm-gate prices, and complicate any future effort to secure separate GI recognition for Rajasthan-grown cumin and fennel. The South Asia Biotechnology Centre's objection formally requests that Western Rajasthan's cumin and fennel be recognised under an appropriate geographical indication.

What Happens Next

The matter now rests with the GI Registry in Chennai, which must consider the objection before the registrations are finalised. Agricultural bodies and farmer groups in Rajasthan are expected to continue pressing their case, with the outcome likely to set a significant precedent for how India's GI framework distinguishes between cultivation origins and commercial trading centres in future applications.