After guava, Moonj products of Prayagraj in queue to secure GI tag

Identified under the ‘One District One Product’ or ODOP scheme of the state government, Moonj products of Prayagraj could soon get the coveted GI Tag.

For this, the office of the district distribution officer of Prayagraj has already applied to the Central government, said the district officials.

After getting GI or geographical indication tag, products made of Moonj grass are expected to get a new push in exports, they added.

The District GI Committee meeting was held at Vikas Bhawan recently in which deliberations in this regard were held and the details of the application sent to the Central government was also shared.

Till now the Allahabadi guava has got the GI tag and it was granted in 2007–2008.

A geographical indication (GI) tag is a name or sign used on certain products that correspond to a specific geographical location or origin. The GI tag ensures that only the authorised users or those residing in the geographical territory are allowed to use the popular product name. It also protects the product from being copied or imitated by others.

Officials say that scenario of Moonj products has changed over the years. The journey from baskets of varying sizes to coming up with attractive artificial jewellery pieces and decorative items made of Moonj grass has been covered, but even today there are many challenges in bagging the export orders.

“The artisans comprising mainly women try at their level, but there has been no significant success in bagging major orders from abroad. In such a situation, now GI tag will be awarded to Moonj products by the Government of India. For this, all the conditions of meeting the export standards will be met. The advantage of this will be that when Moonj products are sent abroad, it will have an identity of its own and exports would be done easily,” shared SK Srivastava, deputy director (agriculture), Prayagraj who was present in the meeting of the District GI Committee held on September 4.

Moonj is a type of wild grass that richly grows near the banks of the Yamuna in and around vast areas of Prayagraj. This craft is practiced mostly by women. Moonj is the outer layer of the grass which is peeled and knotted. This art has been practiced here from the last 60 to 70 years. The grass is cut during the winter and the peel of the stalks is left out in dew for days to lighten its colour. Many splits are dyed in bright colour and binding is done these days with plastic strips, tinsel or cloth, said Fatima Bibi, a resident of Mahewa village in Chaka development block of Prayagraj who has been practicing this art for the past over a decade now.

A large number of women artisans working from their homes in villages like Mahewa, Dandi and Badoka among others in the Chaka development block, located around 20 km from Sangam city, are producing a wide range of products made from Moonj like baskets (daliya), coasters, bags, decorative items, pen stands besides jewellery pieces that are already attracting orders from different parts of India including Goa, New Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The ODOP has changed the lives of over 500 women workers engaged in manufacturing Moonj products in Prayagraj. Earlier the products like a ‘Dauri’ were sold for barely ₹50 while now a small paperweight sells for ₹120. The making cost is hardly ₹15, but the hard work makes it worth much more. On the other hand, wall hanging ranges from ₹500 to ₹700 each and bouquets also start from ₹300. Moonj’s artificial jewellery is priced at ₹300 and above.