In a first for the North East, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said that the government has started extraction of curcumin from turmeric. He said that the process of extraction is ‘indigenous’ and, in the near future, better technology will be introduced, which has global acceptability.
Curcumin gives turmeric its bright yellow colour. It is sold as a herbal supplement, cosmetics ingredient, food flavouring and food colouring.
“Government will get the best standard equipment and ensure that the product from Meghalaya finds its market globally,” the Chief Minister said at the Lakadong Festival, which is being held for the first time in Laskein, West Jaiñtia Hills.
As part of the Lakadong Mission, the CM handed over turmeric washer and polisher machines to four Lakadong farming societies identified by the Meghalaya Farmers’ (Empowerment) Commission. He also inaugurated the Collective Marketing Centres at Thadmuthlong, Shangpung and Laskein Mowtyrshiah under the mission.
Sangma was accompanied by Mookaiaw MLA, Nurjorki Sungoh, Commissioner & Secretary Vijay Kumar and Chairman of the Meghalaya Farmers Empowerment Commission KN Kumar.
Speaking to the farmers, Sangma said the Lakadong Festival is a culmination of a journey which started four years ago when concerns were being expressed about the difficulties faced by the turmeric farmers.
“It was then that we decided that we must go in a mission mode in order to push the production as well as value addition of Lakadong turmeric,” he was quoted as saying in a press release from his office. “The target should be to increase the income of the farmers by increasing productivity of the farmers by providing them training and capacity building,” he added.
He further said that in the last few years the government has endeavoured to make the department’s goals much broader, namely by increasing production and, therefore, income.
When Meghalaya celebrates its diamond jubilee, it should be in the top 10 states in terms of its GSDP, he added, and boosting agriculture, which already makes up for 22 percent of the GSDP will be part of achieving that goal.
He also expressed happiness that the State has its own curcumin content testing unit.
“There was a time when the curcumin content had to be measured in Kolkata would take 10 days but today we did it in 10 minutes out here,” the CM said.
Such a festival could go a long way to create agro-tourism, he added, and similar programmes will be replicated throughout the state for other food products.
