Is garlic spice or vegetable? Madhya Pradesh court ends years-long debate !!

 Is garlic spice or vegetable? Madhya Pradesh court ends years-long debate

There was a years-long legal contention about whether garlic should be classified as a spice or a vegetable which was closely being monitored by the farmers. 

The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court has finally put an end to the years-long debate and declared garlic as a vegetable, permitting its sale in both vegetable and spice markets, reports 'India Today'. 

The High Court verdict is expected to benefit farmers and traders by allowing garlic to be considered a vegetable while still being categorised as a spice.  

Garlic, known for its potent flavour, is often considered a spice in cooking due to its strong taste and versatile use in a variety of dishes.

The controversy traces back to 2015 when a farmers' organisation in Madhya Pradesh persuaded the Mandi Board to categorise garlic as a vegetable. 

However, the Agriculture Department quickly reversed this decision, reclassifying garlic as a spice under the Agricultural Produce Market Committee Act of 1972.

In response, the Potato, Onion, and Garlic Commission Agent Association approached the Indore bench in 2016, challenging the Principal Secretary's decision. 

A single judge ruled in favour of the association in February 2017, sparking controversy among traders who argued that the decision primarily benefited commission agents rather than farmers.

In July 2017, a petitioner, Mukesh Somani, filed a review petition, which led to the recent verdict by the Indore bench of Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice D Venkataraman.

The bench upheld the 2017 ruling, restoring the previous system of garlic sales, which allows farmers to sell their produce directly in the market without paying any commission to agents.

The court also noted that garlic, though classified as a spice, falls outside the state government's jurisdiction when it comes to imposing changes. "Therefore, no further decisions can be made regarding its classification at this time, except that it will be maintained as a vegetable," it said.