Haldi becomes the new fancy of Haryana farmers

Turmeric is seemingly catching fancy of Haryana farmers this year. According to horticulture department officials, Yamunanagar, where 80 per cent of the total turmeric in Haryana is sown, has witnessed twice growth in the area compared to previous season.

The area under turmeric, sown along with polar trees, indeed has shown remarkable progress in Haryana considering that it covered an area of just 625 hectare (253 acres) in 2008-09.

Farmers in Haryana this year seems to have caught fancy for the turmeric, the area for which has shown considerable rise. As per horticulture department officials in Yamunanagar area where 80% of the turmeric in Haryana is sown, has witnessed twice growth in the area compared to previous season.

As per District Horticulture officials compared to 800 acres area sown under turmeric last year this year the area has increased to 2000 acres and could move further up.

HAFED is anticipating 3000 acre area under turmeric this season (2011-12).

This inclination towards turmeric could be attributed to higher remunerations which the farmers are receiving and also because of the subsidy on the seeds. The state horticulture department says that farmers in the state are getting 50 per cent subsidy on the seeds. Similarly Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited, better known as HAFED also has distributed seeds to farmers eyeing acreage 3000 acres.

Farmers in Yamunanagar district, which produces 80 per cent of the total turmeric grown in Haryana said that setting up of processing plant in Haryana by Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited, better known as HAFED has indeed helped the farmers.

Compared to earlier prices of Rs 4-5 per kg, now the farmers are being paid Rs 20-22 per kg by HAFED, which serves as an encouragement to the famers.

S P Singh, secretary, Kisan Club (Yamunanagar) said that this year he has sown 7000 quintals of turmeric compared to 2000-2500 quintals sown last year.

HAFED in 2008 had started a turmeric processing plant with processing capacity of 1437 tonnes per year. While 39 quintals of turmeric was purchased by HAFED for its plant in 2008-09, the number increased to 3677 quintal for the season 2010-11.

An official in HAFED said, “50 quintals of turmeric powder processed in the plant already has been supplied to the domestic market. In addition to this, HAFED is also in process of exporting the turmeric powder to countries like US as officials maintained necessary approval has been obtained.”

The officials in HAFED added that out of 3677 quintals of raw turmeric purchased by processing plant, just 800 quintals came from Haryana farmers but this year they are targeting more turmeric from the state farmers considering the increase of area.