AgriNation Network

Bhopal | 19 March 2018

Locally bred, protein-rich breed of chicken, called ‘Kadaknath’, known for its high iron content and much lower cholesterol than other breeds, has become a bone of contention between Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states, with both states staking claim over its origin.

While Madhya Pradesh claims its origin in Jhabua district where tribal families are involved in its breeding, whereas Chhatisgarh claims its origin in Dantewada district. The two states have filed applications with the Geographical Indication (GI) registry office in Chennai for the ‘GI tag’.

However, Madhya Pradesh’s animal husbandry department is confident of getting the GI tag as the Gramin Vikas Trust of Jhabua had applied for it way back in 2012.  Chhattisgarh, with the help of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) staked its claim last month only.

Officials from Chhatisgarh claimed, around 160 poultry farms in Dantewada run by self- help groups of tribal women produce 4 lakh chickens of the Kadaknath variety for meat annually as compared to government-run hatcheries in Madhya Pradesh that produce about 2.5 lakh chickens annually of the same variety.

Though MP had set up first poultry farm for this breed of chicken in 1978 in Jhabua, but Chhattisgarh surpassed MP in terms of  production in a shot span of time.

GIs are an important economic tool for the uplift of rural and tribal communities. Unlike Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) which guarantee the protection of individual interest, GI is a collective right. If products qualify for GI, producers can use the collective GI mark while commercially exploiting their products.

Till the 2017 end, India had granted 303 GIs, including 11 foreign products like Scotch and Cognac.  Karnataka is the state with most GIs, accounting for over a tenth of the country’s total.