Rewa Sundarja Mango: First Commercial GI Export to UAE via APEDA
Why in the news
APEDA, the agri-export promotion authority, helped ship the debut commercial lot of Rewa Sundarja mangoes (GI-tagged, from Madhya Pradesh) to the UAE on 26 June 2026.
Key facts
- Size: a 1-metric-tonne consignment.
- Exporter: Salt Range Foods Pvt. Ltd.; supply came from Seondha Farmer Producer Company Limited and Sonu Gupta, a farmer of Govindgarh in Rewa district.
- Packing: done at Trisagar FPC’s pack house in Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, which APEDA supported.
- Dispatch: by air through Varanasi Airport.
- GI tag: received in 2023.
Farmer price benefit
| Item | Rate per kg |
|---|---|
| Local market rate | ₹100-110 |
| Export price paid to farmers | ₹150 |
| Premium earned | ₹40-50 |
About APEDA
- Statutory body in the Commerce Department (Ministry of Commerce & Industry); set up on 13 February 1986 as per the 1985 APEDA Act; headquarters at Hauz Khas, New Delhi.
- Has 15 regional offices; Chairman is Shri Abhishek Dev, IAS; it replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC).
- Mandate: boosting exports in 17 scheduled product groups (802 eight-digit HS codes), among them fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, cereals, honey and flowers.
- Basmati Rice appears in the Second Schedule; APEDA tracks sugar imports and also serves as secretariat of NPOP (National Programme for Organic Production).
- Cashew kernels, cashewnut shell liquid and cardanol joined the list in June 2021.
Geographical Indications Act, 1999
- Passed on 30 December 1999 and operational from 15 September 2003.
- Protects products whose qualities are linked to their place of origin; consistent with WTO TRIPS (Articles 22-24).
- Registration lasts 10 years and can be renewed indefinitely for further 10-year terms.
- Infringement can bring up to 3 years in jail and a ₹2 lakh fine.
- Administered by the GI Registry in Chennai, under the CGPDTM, which functions under DPIIT in the Commerce Ministry.
FPOs and FPCs
- A collective of primary producers; FPCs incorporate under Part IX-A of the 2013 Companies Act to gain scale, market reach and bargaining strength.
- Central scheme for forming and promoting 10,000 FPOs began on 29 February 2020 (₹6,865 crore); SFAC, NABARD and NCDC implement it.
Exam angle
- Export first: GI-tagged Rewa Sundarja, Madhya Pradesh to UAE, 26 June 2026.
- APEDA facts: 1986; HQ New Delhi; NPOP secretariat.
- Related terms: GI Registry Chennai, TRIPS, FPC, SFAC.