In a major boost to wheat exports, the first shipment of Geographical Indication (GI) certified Bhalia variety of wheat was exported today to Kenya and Sri Lanka from Gujarat. The GI certified wheat has high protein content and is sweet in taste. The crop is grown mostly across Bhal region of Gujarat which includes Ahmadabad, Anand, Kheda, Bhavanagar, Surendranagar, Bharuch districts.

The unique characteristic of the wheat variety is that grown in the rainfed condition without irrigation and cultivated in around two lakh hectares of agricultural land in Gujarat.The Bhalia variety of wheat received GI certification in July, 2011. The registered proprietor of GI certification is Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat.

This initiative is expected to give boost wheat exports from India. In 2020-21, the wheat exports from India witnessed a significant growth of 808 % to ₹ 4034 crore from ₹ 444 crore reported in the previous fiscal. In US dollar terms, the wheat exports rose by 778% to $ 549 million in 2020-21.

India exported substantial quantity of grain to seven new countries - Yemen, Indonesia, Bhutan, Philippines, Iran, Cambodia and Myanmar during 2020-21.

In the previous financial years, only small quantities of wheat were exported to these countries. Wheat exports did not take place to these seven countries in 2018-19 and only 4 metric tonne of grain was exported in 2019-20. The volume of exports of wheat to these countries rose to 1.48 lakh tone in 2020-21.

Geographical Indication certified Bhalia wheat exported, enhancing market access and export growth for regional producers. Exports commenced of Geographical Indication-certified Bhalia wheat from Gujarat to Kenya and Sri Lanka; the variety is high in protein, sweet, grown rainfed across the Bhal region on around two lakh hectares, GI-registered in July 2011 with Anand Agricultural University as registered proprietor, and the initiative is expected to boost wheat exports and market diversification following marked export growth in 2020-21.