A healing touch for turmeric

The Waigaon variety matures in just 180 days, faster than other varieties. Yet, farmers engaged in the cultivation of this spice of life have failed to reap the benefits. The variety takes a whole year to be processed before it can be sold. Once this is done, the cultivators sell their produce largely in the local markets at relatively low prices, Rs 35-40 a kg.

But the farmers8217; main complaint is that the Waigaon variety finds no mention in the Spices Board8217;s scheduled list of export-quality turmeric varieties. That cuts it out of the lucrative loop of the export market, and other varieties like Rajapuri and Sangli have stolen a march over this variety.The halad turmeric cultivators, under the banner of Waigaon Halad Utpadak Shetkari Sangh, have been striving for the last two decades to get the variety included in the all-important list. The cultivators hail largely from the Dhivar community, a fishing tribe. This community is also facing threat from the previous Shiv Sena-BJP government8217;s decision to grant fishing rights to private firms.

8220;The Waigaon variety, with a high curcumine content of 5.55 per cent, is qualitatively on par with varieties like the famous Alleppy turmeric. But because of lack of political patronage, it has so far not found a place in the scheduled list,8221; says Krishnarao Chacharkar, president of the Halad Sangh. Curcumine is the ingredient that lends turmeric its distinctive yellowness. The higher its percentage, the deeper the yellow. In the West, where synthetic colours are discouraged, turmeric is required only for colouring purposes, not as a food ingredient as in India. Naturally, varieties with a higher curcumine content are preferred.

However, because of its non-inclusion in the scheduled list, the Waigaon variety has failed to exploit this natural advantage. Though the Alleppy variety has nearly the same curcumine content as that of the Waigaon variety, it is in greater demand from foreign buyers, especially the US, as it figures on the list. The Halad Sangh says listing the Waigaon variety would fetch the farmers a competitive price and free them from the clutches of local markets.

8220;Even the Rajapuri and Sangli varieties from Maharashtra, which are inferior to Waigaon turmeric, have been included in the list,8221; points out Chacharkar also a freedom fighter and local Congress leader who has held top posts in many state coperatives. 8220;The region8217;s politicians must stand by their farmers in their struggle.8221;

Every year, farmers are unable to offload a large quantity of the produce, and have to wait till the next year to sell their stock. 8220;If the Waigaon variety gets an export licence, this problem could also be taken care of,8221; adds Chacharkar.

The office of the Joint Director of Agriculture at Nagpur appeared ill-equipped to address the issue. It could not even provide statistics of the total area under cultivation and yield per acre. When asked why turmeric cultivation has been getting a step-motherly treatment over the years, Superintending Agriculture Officer Gedam told The Indian Express: 8220;Turmeric cultivation is done on a very small scale. Thus, it has not been taken cognisance of. However, we do have schemes for the cultivators if they approach us.8221;

Ranjit Deshmukh, State Minister for Agriculture, also assured that 8220;The turmeric cultivators have apprised the government of their grievance, and the government will do whatever it can to redress it.8221;

The Sangh8217;s case got a boost some years ago when the then deputy director marketing of the Mumbai office of Spices Board, S K Sethuraj, got the Waigaon variety tested for curcumine percentage in the board8217;s laboratory in Kochi. The encouraging results of the test had raised the hopes of the organisation. Sethuraj reportedly tried to set the pace for change by writing to the Kochi office, but the matter has failed to make headway since.

On its own, the Sangh has been writing to export houses citing the Spices Board8217;s certificate of curcumine percentage, but it has made little progress. For the Waigaon variety, the breakthrough will come only when it gets included in the scheduled list. Till then, it awaits a healing touch from the state8217;s policy makers.