Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR), Tirunelveli. The Kani tribes who lives in and around Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) and Servalar dams in the Western Ghats and they cultivate pepper, tapioca, Kandaari chilly, Kodam puli (tamarind), gooseberry, jackfruit, lemon and collect minor forest produce such as honey. The Kani tribes has a population of 25,000 and lives in scattered settlements. They sell these products to the public, particularly to traders in the plains. They produce organically cultivated products and sell them to small groups. High-value goods are getting minimum returns due to lack of proper marketing. The tribal people are cultivating GI tagged Malabar pepper without Authorized user certification, proper packaging, and marketing values.
MABIF suggested suitable packaging to the tribal products as current packing is needs upgradation and processing methods for chilies and pepper to retain the aroma, flavor, and color. MABIF collected details of the cultivation area, documents of the tribal association to get authorized user certification for GI tagged Malabar pepper. This will ensure the protection of GI Malabar pepper, increasing brand value and identity for Kani tribes.
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