A brinjal joins the mango club.

The Ashapur variety of brinjal, cultivated in Malda’s Chanchal subdivision, has obtained the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag, bringing cheer to farmers and the district administration.

With this feat, the Ashapur Brinjal becomes the fourth agricultural product from Malda to receive GI recognition, following the district’s famed Lakshmanbhog, Himsagar (Khirsapati) and Fazli mango varieties.

The recognition is expected to enhance the vegetable’s market value, protect its authenticity and strengthen the livelihoods of local cultivators.

The distinctive Ashapur Brinjals

“Ashapur Brinjal has been granted Geographical Indication registration under GI No. 992 in Class 31 (brinjal), providing formal recognition and legal protection to this unique agricultural produce of Malda district,” a senior district administration official said.

The registered proprietor of the GI is the Ashapur Fruits and Vegetables Growers Welfare Society, based at Kobaiya village in Chanchal.

The registration process was facilitated by the Malda district administration through the district horticulture office in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Chair of the National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Calcutta.

Srinivas Patil, the additional district magistrate (zilla parishad), said that the administration played a key role throughout the registration process by coordinating institutional support, assisting in the preparation of technical and legal documentation, facilitating field-level verification of the crop’s unique characteristics and its geographical linkage to Ashapur in Chanchal-I block, and bringing together farmer groups, technical experts and academic institutions.

“These collective efforts helped secure formal recognition for Ashapur Brinjal as a product intrinsically linked to Malda’s geography, traditional cultivation practices and local economy,” Patil said.

The farmers are also happy with the GI tag for the round, light green brinjal.

“The recognition will enhance the identity of the Ashapur Brinjal and help us secure better markets for our produce,” said grower Shahnaj Alam.

Farmer Sukumar Saha said the GI status would safeguard the product’s authenticity and improve farmers’ incomes.

“The GI tag will increase the market visibility and brand value of Ashapur Brinjal at the regional, national and international levels. It will also protect farmers from misuse of the name by non-genuine producers and help ensure fair prices by highlighting the produce’s authenticity and place of origin,” he said.

Officials of the district administration said it planned to leverage the GI recognition to promote the crop more aggressively.

“We will prepare a structured roadmap for branding and marketing Ashapur Brinjal. Awareness and training programmes will be organised for farmers on the proper use of the GI tag, packaging and quality standards. We will also encourage participation in agricultural fairs, exhibitions and buyer-seller meets, while strengthening farmer producer organisations (FPOs) focused on GI-linked produce,” Patil added.

Rajanvir Singh Kapur, the district magistrate, described the recognition as a milestone for the district.

“The GI recognition for Ashapur Brinjal is a matter of pride for Malda and will significantly benefit the farming community in and around Chanchal-I block. It will help preserve the crop’s unique identity while creating new economic opportunities for local growers,” he said.