Telangana Govt released Rs.30 Cr to setup turmeric board

Hyderabad, Aug 03: The TRS leader and Nizamabad MP K Kavitha has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set up a separate turmeric board at the national level in Nizamabad district here on Wednesday.

Kavitha told that the Prime Minister gave a patient listening and responded positively on the issue. She hoped that a separate board would soon be set up giving impetus to the growth of turmeric production and processing for value addition.

While speaking to media persons, she said that letters from Chief Ministers of States including Maharashtra, Kerala, and Assam in support of the cause of turmeric farmers have been handed over to the Prime Minister. They all had endorsed the need for a separate turmeric board at the national level.

Kavitha said turmeric farmers in the country were yet to go a long way in adopting advanced techniques in farming. Lakhs of farmers were growing turmeric in 13 States of India. The government should think in the lines of extending due support to them by announcing the minimum support price (MSP) for the crop.



Turmeric being a long-duration crop calling for the involvement of farmer's entire family for over ten months period, involved huge investments, but the returns are not remunerative.

The import of turmeric allowed by the government had an adverse impact on the local growers. Seeking a focused approach to the turmeric farmers from the Centre, she recalled that the issue was represented by the Prime Minister last year also.

Though the centre gave its commitment to set up a spices park in the State, it backed out at a later stage.

As a result, the State government has decided to setup the park in Nizamabad by sanctioning Rs 30 crore. Some 42 acres of land was also allotted for the spices part in the district.

The spices development board regional office set up in Warangal, she said, would help the local chilli and spices farmers to a considerable extent.