News Desk
It is becoming increasingly clear that the Muizzu administration will need to begin adopting the global practice of geographic indication (GI) certification for Maldivian agricultural and handcraft products — a system long established elsewhere but still absent in the Maldives, despite the country’s many distinctive, locally adapted varieties.
With just four days remaining before the start of Ramadan, the price of Kandoodhoo mirus has risen sharply in Malé’s local market, reaching MVR 450 per kilogram (approximately USD 30) — one of the steepest increases recorded this season.
Traders say the spike is driven by a tightening supply, and they do not expect prices to ease even once Ramadan begins.
Several staple items have also climbed in price as households prepare for the month of fasting.
A Note on the Maldivian Variety of Githeyo Mirus
Local traders note that Kandoodhoo mirus — a specific variety of the Maldives’ well‑known Githeyo mirus — owes its distinctive flavour and heat to the high salinity and unusually extreme pH levels of Kandoodhoo’s soil. Githeyo mirus, known internationally as Scotch bonnet, one of the world’s hottest chilli varieties, is regarded locally as a uniquely Maldivian cultivar.
Although widely recognised within the islands as a geographically specific variety, it has never been formally registered or protected. The Maldives has yet to adopt GI certification, leaving products such as githeyo mirus unrecognised internationally despite their clear local identity.
