Meghalaya's Lakadong turmeric gets Rs 175-crore 'Golden Spice' push

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched 'Mission Golden Spice,' a Rs 175-crore initiative to make Lakadong turmeric Meghalaya's flagship export. The plan aims to triple cultivation, benefit 17,500 farmers, and double their income.

Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday launched "Mission Golden Spice," a Rs 175-crore, five-year initiative aimed at branding Lakadong turmeric as Meghalaya's flagship export product.

Lakadong turmeric, grown primarily in the West and East Jaintia Hills districts, is currently cultivated on about 2,600 hectares, yielding roughly 10,000 metric tonnes annually. Under the mission, the government aims to nearly triple the cultivation area to 7,000 hectares, a move officials say will benefit around 17,500 farmers, 99 percent of whom are women, while creating 3,000 additional jobs across the state.

Northeast as India's 'Ashtalakshmi'

Speaking at the launch, Scindia framed the initiative within the Prime Minister's broader push to position the Northeast's eight states referred to as "Ashtalakshmi" at the centre of India's development strategy rather than its periphery. He said each state was being encouraged to build a unique selling proposition around its natural strengths, citing examples such as bamboo in Assam, pineapple in Tripura, and organic produce in Sikkim, alongside Meghalaya's turmeric.

High Curcumin Content a Key Advantage

Scindia highlighted Lakadong turmeric's curcumin content between 7 and 12 percent, nearly four times the global average as a key competitive advantage. He noted that the turmeric was recently showcased by the Prime Minister at the G7 summit, where it drew strong interest from participating nations.

Funding and Future Goals

On funding, Scindia said the Rs 175 crore allocation is being shared between the Meghalaya state government, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and the DoNER Ministry, which is contributing 50 percent. He said the program's goals include expanding cold storage and processing infrastructure to end distress sales, with a target of doubling farmer income from the current Rs 30-40 per kilo to about Rs 80 per kilo by 2030, and opening new export markets in the United States, European Union, Japan, and the Gulf.

A Crop Tied to the Land

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said past attempts to replicate Lakadong turmeric's high curcumin content by growing it elsewhere in the Northeast had failed, reinforcing that the crop's quality is tied specifically to the soil and climate of the Jaintia Hills region. He credited state officials and farmers for building the institutional groundwork over several years, which he said positions the new mission to accelerate growth already underway.

(ANI)

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