Chennai, Dec 17 : Producers of three iconic agricultural products from Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu -- Thoothukudi salt, Authoor Poovan banana and Villiseri lemon -- have applied for the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, aiming to secure legal protection, preserve traditional practices and enhance market visibility for the regionâ??s produce.

The applications were facilitated by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Chennai, along with the NABARD-Madurai Agribusiness Incubation Forum (MABIF), which supported producer groups in documentation and filing.

The application for Thoothukudi salt was submitted by the Thoothukudi Uppu Urapathiyalargal Sangam. Salt in the region is produced using the traditional solar evaporation method, in which seawater or sub-soil brine is channelled into expansive salt pans and left to evaporate under intense sunlight. This natural process yields large, white crystalline salt known for its high purity and quality.

Thoothukudi contributes nearly 30 per cent of Indiaâ??s total salt production, with approximately 25,000 to 30,000 acres of salt pans spread across villages such as Vepalodai, Tharuvaikulam, Muttayapuram and Ottapidaram. Both edible and industrial-grade salt produced here is supplied to households as well as chemical, leather, textile dyeing and pharmaceutical industries.

Historical records cited in the application highlight the long legacy of salt production in the region.

Tamil Sangam literature, including Pattinappaalai and Puranaanuru, refers to coastal trade in salt, pearls and fish from the Gulf of Mannar region. During the Pandya period, salt production was encouraged as a state revenue source, while temple inscriptions in south Tamil Nadu document levies imposed on salt traders.

Chola maritime records from the 11th century identify Tuticorin as a major export port, with salt shipped alongside pearls and spices. European powers -- the Portuguese, Dutch and British -- later used Tuticorin as a strategic port for the salt trade.

British Salt Revenue Reports from the 19th century describe the town as a major salt-producing centre of the Madras Presidency.

After Independence, the Salt Commissionerâ??s Organisation formally recognised Thoothukudi as a key salt hub, a status further strengthened by the development of the V.O.C. Port.

The GI application for Authoor Poovan banana was filed by the Authoor Poovan Valai Urpathiyayalargal Sangam. Cultivated in Authoor village and nearby hamlets along the Tamiraparani canal irrigation belt, the banana is known for its distinctive taste, attributed to mineral-rich irrigation water.

The third application, submitted by the Villiseri Lemon Urpathiyayalargal Sangam, seeks GI status for the Villiseri lemon of Kovilpatti. This traditional citrus variety is valued for its strong aroma, high juice content, pronounced acidity, fewer seeds and naturally long shelf life compared to other lemon varieties.

/IANS