SHILLONG: Internationally acclaimed Lakadong turmeric of Meghalaya which has high curcumin content ranging from 7-10% as a potential immunity booster, seems to be somewhat under-prepared to meet the growing market demands. This because the turmeric trade still languishes as cottage industry rather than a state of art production system and absence of aggressive marketing.
A lot was promised when in April 2018, the then Governor Ganga Prasad launched the five-year Mission Lakadong (2018-2023) a convergent Mission of the Directorate of Horticulture, Department of Agriculture, Community & Rural Development Department, Forest Department, North Eastern Hill University and Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship.
In the Laskein Block is the Rural Bio-Resource Complex for North-Eastern India, a project implemented by NEHU and Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, for turmeric and ginger value addition. It is now run by a 25-member women’s cooperative society — the Life Spice Processing Co-operative Society headed by Priscena Phyllei.
The machine for extracting turmeric oil was installed at the Complex in 2014 and Prof SK Barik was at the forefront of the project. Barik was then Professor of Ecology, Department of Botany, NEHU. He had said that some person from Calicut would come to train the women farmers and producers but the person never came.
Members of the women’s co-operative said, they were not adequately trained to use the machinery. Even the machine for slicing turmeric was not working well. The pulverizing machine for powdering turmeric was very slow thereby delaying the entire processing work.
“We needed someone to be there for a while to train us and be with us until we have learnt to handle the machinery but that did not happen. We were told we would be able to enhance our livelihoods to Rs 30,000 a month. That too did not happen since the machines that could speed up production are lying idle. It was like giving us a car without teaching us to drive,” said Priscena Phyllei.
In November 2016 Prof Barik left NEHU to join as Director, CSIR-National Botanical Research, Lucknow. After that the project has lost traction and is virtually abandoned by NEHU and DBT, Government of India. The investment in machinery which would have been a substantial amount has now turned into a bad investment as the machines are unutilized.
Teimon Shylla, the Secretary of the Society is able to do some electrical repair work but that’s not sufficient. Besides, the machines require constant power supply but at Laskein where the processing plant is located the power supply is inadequate and there is a need for a transformer.
A member of the Co-operative said that as of now the curcumin content is tested by ICAR but it would have been better if the testing centre is located close to the area growing the turmeric. “In some areas the curcumin content is as high as 12% which no other turmeric anywhere has as far as we know.” What is disappointing for the women farmers is that the bulk buyers of the raw material often push down the price of Lakadong turmeric simply because the other varieties are also passed as the original. This is the reason they want to carry out the processing within the Laskein Block so that there is proper supervision and no mixing/adulteration with the rhizomes of inferior quality.
Priscena says, “We want the whole world to know about Lakadong turmeric and that is why we want to upscale the processing method so that there are zero impurities. Now we have been provided a solar dryer by the Agriculture Department so we won’t need to dry the rhizomes in the open.”
If Meghalaya is now known nationally and internationally then it owes that place of pride to Lakadong turmeric. The women farmers informed that enquires have come from the US and other foreign countries too.
Principal Secretary Cooperation Department, GHP Raju who has moved from operation to cooperation is that missionary that all the missions need. In September this year, Raju had a consultative meeting with Lakadong turmeric farmers at Shangpung. Raju says, “lakadong turmeric farming is done mostly by women and they are committed and professional in their approach. They only need skills in value addition which include processing, sorting, packaging, branding and marketing. With these added skills their income will be doubled”.
Raju is insistent that Lakadong Turmeric should be registered as a trademark so that no other turmeric growers from other parts of the State can use the trademark without meeting the curcumin content and without permission. Patenting Lakadong Turmeric is the need of the hour, Raju says.
Most people wrongly associate the name of the turmeric to the Lakadong village which in fact is very rocky place and grows very little turmeric. According to the turmeric growers, there are a number of villages under Laskein Block that grow turmeric, namely Laskein, Saphai, Mootyrshiah, Sahsniang etc. The varieties of turmeric grown are more than just the Lakadong variety. They include Ladaw, Lachen and Lasying among others. What distinguishes Lakadong turmeric from the others is it bright orange colour when raw and which turns into a golden yellow colour after it is powdered.