Gorakhpur's 'Paniyala' Got GI Tag

• 31 Jan 2023

Why In News?

According to the information received from the media on January 29, 2023, Paniyala is also included in the 21 agricultural products which have been allowed for GI tag by the High-Power Committee of the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

Key points

• With the permission of GI tag, the taste of Paniyala produced in Lachhipur and nearby villages of Gorakhpur will now reach the country and the world. The dying Paniyala trees will be preserved, Paniyala gardens will be prepared, and people will enjoy the sour-sweet taste of its fruit.
• It is known that Paniyala is like Jamun in shape and color and its taste is sour-sweet.
• According to the e-magazine of Uttar Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, it cannot be said clearly from where this tree is. There is a possibility that it is a fruit found only in Uttar Pradesh. Paniyala's actual produce may have been somewhere, but it had many gardens between Lachhipur and Nakaha railway station, located in the northern part of Gorakhpur metropolis. Earlier the identity of Lachhipur was Paniyala. Paniyala and guava fruits were the source of income for the people of this village for a long time.
• It is noteworthy that Paniyala 60 to is sold from 90 rupees per kg. Sometimes it is sold up to Rs 100-150 per kg. One tree earns Rs 4000.
• Between 2011 and 2018, several research conducted in the Botany Department of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University revealed that Paniyala is a mine of virtues. According to research, its leaves, bark, roots, and fruits have immunity against bacteria. Paniyala is beneficial in diseases related to stomach. It has also been used in the treatment of pain in teeth and gums, bleeding from them, phlegm, pneumonia, and sore throat etc. It is also preserved and kept for a long time.
• It is known that his research student Niharika Pandey Dwivedi had also completed her research on Paniyala under the direction of Prof. VN Pandey, teacher of Botany Department of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University. Niharika's research came out in the year 2015, which was highly appreciated by the experts. Many beneficial elements were found in Paniyala in terms of health.