The region of the municipality of Mara Rosa is the first Goiás State, Brazil having a geographical indication (GI)-seal given to products or services characteristic of their place of origin, which assigns intrinsic value, self identity, and makes them more competitive on the market. With the support of Federal Agriculture Superintendence of Goiás (SFA/GO), the cooperative of Saffron Producers of Mara Rosa (Cooperaçafrão) obtained the record of IG, in indication of origin, to the turmeric (Curcuma longa). The Saffron Ganesan is the first in the country to get the IG.
“The expectation is that the stamp come add value to our saffron”, says the President of the entity, Arlindo Simão Vaz, to refer to the registration granted by the National Institute of Industrial Property (Inpi) earlier this month. The challenge now, he adds, is partnering to form a distribution network capable of bringing the product to supermarkets and other commercial establishments. Today, the Saffron in the region of Mara Rosa is sold in small packs only in local trade.
The IG to the Saffron-plant used as a condiment in food and pharmaceutical industry – is the result of 10 years of work between the Map, Cooperaçafrão, Emater, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Sebrae and Government of Goiás, points out the agricultural tax Rodrigo Batista de Paula, Policy Division, Agricultural production and development of the SFA/GO. He and the agricultural service agent Maria Aparecida Pereira da Silva in the area of geographical indication of Map in Goiás.
Origin
The area with the indication of origin of Saffron includes, in addition to Mara Rosa, North Star, Amaralina and fair. The four municipalities are goiano in the North, between Uruaçu and Porangatu. “We hope that this achievement will also contribute to regional development and serve as a stimulus for new projects of IG in Goiás,” says Rodrigo.
The search for the record of IG was the form found by farmers to protect the source of Saffron produced in the region of Mara Rosa, says the President of Cooperaçafrão. Currently, he adds, about 200 hectares are intended for the cultivation of the plant in the area bordered with indication of origin. The 72 members of the entity collected around 200 tons this year.
According to Rodrigo, the geographical indication can only be used by farmers in the region bounded to follow the production and processing technical standards laid down in the rules of use. “They will be able to display the seal on your product, thus avoiding that other saffron producers not included in the fence use the geographical name unlawfully.”
Source: Map
