Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property has registered the Geographical Indication (GI) of the Nong Bua Daeng hom thong banana, for its unique texture due to the potassium-rich soil in Nong Bua Daeng district of the north-eastern province of Chaiyaphum.

Vuttikrai Leewiraphan, director-general of the department, explained that the Nong Bua Daeng hom thong banana, in fact, originated from the Karb Dum banana variety in Lop Buri, but it was introduced to Nong Bua Daeng district, where the landscape of low hills and flat land is rich in potassium, which is vital for the growth of bananas.

The Nong Bua Daeng banana is long, thick-skinned with a firm pulp and a yellow skin when ripe, making it suitable for transportation.

Vuttikrai said that the banana is popular in the Thai market and is exported to Japan, earning about 40 million baht annually for farmers in Chaiyaphum province.

He also said that community-based enterprises or communities which have agricultural products, that they believe are unique and are of high quality, can seek consultation with the department when applying for GI certification, which is intended to ensure that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods or enjoys a good reputation due to its geographical origin.