Turmeric gets off the ground in Punjab

Horticulture department has for the first time sown the crop on three farms,cooperative society procured 1,200 quintals of turmeric seeds from Maharashtra this season.

The fields of Punjab have begun to bask in the golden glow of turmeric. The seeds of the spice,which is grown largely in southern and south-western states,has witnessed a surge in demand among farmers of the state this year.

The Punjab Horticulture department has,therefore,for the first time,sowed the crop on three of its farms at Malsian and Dhogri in Jalandhar district and Khanna in Ludhiana district to produce its seeds.

Also,Farmers Produce Promotion Society (FAPRO),a cooperative society started in 2001 by farmers for producing honey,turmeric and jaggery,purchased 1,200 quintals of a new variety of turmeric seed namely Soni from Maharashtra this year. Interestingly,this variety has been developed by a Bihar university and is yet to be released in that state.

Punjab Horticulture Director Dr Lajwinder Singh Brar said this year there was a huge demand for turmeric seeds and farmers have procured it from FAPRO,other states as also from other big farmers of the state itself.

Even we have cultivated turmeric for the first time in our three farms so that the department can provide seeds to farmers next year onwards, said Dr Singh Brar.

According to the Horticulture Departments record,around 1,000 acres of land was under turmeric cultivation in the year 2010-11,and around 2,645 tonnes of turmeric powder were procured from the total produce during the same period.

The FAPRO office-bearer claimed that the acreage under turmeric has increased up to over 4,000 acres in the state this year. We say this as we have supplied turmeric seeds to almost 100 more farmers this year, said FAPRO senior vice-president and Agricultural and Horticulture expert Dr Paramjit Singh.

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Besides,we have purchased 1,200 quintal seeds from Maharashtra this year and also supplied our own seeds to farmers, said FAPRO president Jaswinder Singh Dhaliwal.

Earlier,we were supplying Rajapuri and Film varieties of turmeric to farmers. The varieties gave an yield of 100 to 110 quintals of turmeric per acre , said FAPRO president while adding that turmeric is a high-value crop and a farmer can earn around Rs 2 lakh per acre from this nine-month crop after meeting production expenses.

A Bhogpur-based farmer,Brigadier (retd.) K S Dhillon,has dedicated 11 acres to growing turmeric seeds. I have supplied 900 quintal of seeds to farmers this year,he said.