NIZAMABAD: The Union government is exploring opportunities to increase its revenue by developing agro-based industries all over the country and as a part of that, Telangana might get a turmeric board, a long pending demand of people in the state.
TRS MP K Kavitha had already submitted a memorandum on the same to Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh. BJP Nizamabad district unit leaders, under the leadership of state president Dr K Laxman, are also planning to visit Delhi to force the central leadership to make a statement on establishment of turmeric board.
“Telangana State BJP incharge Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir is pursuing the matter of turmeric board,” said former party MLA Yandala Laxminarayana.
As of now, turmeric is included in Spices Board which deals with 50 other items. Setting up a turmeric board will address all issues related to turmeric including research and marketing. As per its location, Armoor in the district has become the centre of activity and farmers cultivate turmeric in Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Adilabad districts in its radius of 70 km.
“Turmeric is spread from Donkeshwar (Nandipet mandal) to Laxmapur near Jagityal in Karimnagar district. These areas have mixed red and black soil suitable for turmeric,” Bajanna, a trader from Armoor said.
While Tamilnadu, Maharashtra and Odisha cultivate turmeric with new seeds, adopting mechanised cropping activity, in Nizamabad, farmers are unable adopt new systems. “A majority of farmers are habituated to cultivate short duration varieties of crops and less curcumin percentage and hence are unable to get profits in the market,” A Venu, a private turmeric procurement agency employee observed.
“Through turmeric exports, the country earn `1500 crore. A board will address all these issues and India can play a major role in exports,” State Turmeric Farmers’ Association president Kota Narasimha Naidu felt.
“Horticulture department decided to establish 100 demonstration plots to encourage farmers to cultivate turmeric in a scientific manner and achieve qualitative yields from June. Selection of farmers is going on,” AD B Sridhar Rao told Express.
A TRS leader said the government should separate turmeric from the existing Spices Board and announce Minimum Support Price so that establishment of turmeric board becomes easier. “On these lines Kavitha is continuing her efforts by taking support from several chief ministers like Devendra Fadnavis (Maharashtra) and Oommen Chandy (Kerala),” he added.