“The Yellow Gold: Why Turmeric Could Transform Indian Agriculture”

Do you know which crop makes the celebrities’ skin glow on their wedding day? Turmeric, or haldi as it is called in Hindi.

That’s just one of the numerous health benefits of this wonder crop. In India, turmeric was traditionally used for disorders of the skin, upper respiratory tract, joints, digestive system, and to prevent cancer as well. Today, turmeric is promoted as a dietary supplement for a variety of conditions, including arthritis, digestive disorders, respiratory infections, allergies, liver disease, depression, and many others. It is known for its antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, antiseptic, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, radioprotective, and digestive properties.

Haldi is grown in many states across India, but it is mainly cultivated in the southern states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka; the eastern states of Orissa and West Bengal; and the western state of Maharashtra. India is by far the largest producer and exporter of turmeric in the world, with close to 50,000 hectares under cultivation. Turmeric can only be grown in diverse tropical conditions, from sea level to 1,500 m above sea level, at a temperature range of 20–35°C, and with an annual rainfall of 1,500 mm or more.  

This crop has a cycle of nine months. It is sown from mid-April [after harvesting the wheat crop] to mid-May, and harvesting takes place in the month of February. After harvesting turmeric, farmers can use the same field for cultivating short-duration crops such as fodder or pulses; thus, a farmer can still get two crops, which is also the case in paddy and wheat rotation. It is a suitable crop as an alternative to rice cultivation, but it cannot be sold raw; it has to be processed. In addition, this crop can be grown under shade; therefore, farmers practicing agroforestry can also take advantage of it and earn additional income by cultivating it under popular plantations. This crop needs less water and is not affected by heavy rains; it is a sturdy crop. It does not require any pesticide or insecticide; only earthing [goddy] is required twice at the time of fertilizer application.

For haldi to be suitable for consumers, it must be processed from its raw form into a powdered format. This haldi production process involves the following steps:

1. Harvesting and Sorting: In this step, the haldi crop is harvested, and the sorting process separates the bulbs and the fingers of the raw haldi. This is done because they boil at different temperatures and require separate treatment. 
2. Cleaning: The sorted raw haldi is washed in a steel drum called a washer. It has a spiral mechanism that moves the haldi inside the drum and cleans it. The cleaned haldi exits from the other side, and the water is recycled and reused in the fields.
3. Boiling: The cleaned haldi is collected in a large cylindrical basket and lowered into a large boiler. The boiler operates at a pressure of 2 pa and the haldi is boiled for about 40 minutes. The boiler contains 6-8 inches of water at the bottom, which, when heated, produces steam that boils the haldi.
4. Drying: After boiling, the haldi is removed and dried under the open sun. This process can take up to 15 days, even during summer.
5. Polishing: The dried haldi is then polished in a machine called a polisher, which removes the outer skin and brings out its yellow color. If this step is skipped, the haldi may retain a black tinge, which can be unappealing to consumers.
6. Grinding: The polished haldi is then passed through a grinder, which grinds it into a fine powder. This is the final form.
7. Packaging: The powdered haldi is packaged and is ready to be sold in the market.

–Haldi Powder – The Value Addition

As can be seen from the above process, the conversion from raw haldi into finished powder is a long and evolved process that involves significant use of machinery and process-specific knowledge. While most farmers do not have the means to undertake this process, there is significant value addition at every stage, and the overall profitability of processed haldi is significantly higher than that of raw haldi (refer to the table below).

Since haldi is not part of the MSP crops, local traders buy it from processors and prefer to purchase polished haldi in bulk at Rs. 90-95 per kg. They, in turn, package it and sell it in the market at Rs. 180-200 per kg. Some of the top brands even fetch up to Rs. 300 per kg in the market. Hence, there is a huge margin being made by the traders and marketing companies at the expense of the farmer.

Challenges 

Although it may appear that growing and processing haldi is a profitable business for farmers and that more and more would take it up, in reality, farmers in Punjab are not undertaking haldi production due to the following challenges:

1. It takes approximately nine months for haldi to be grown and harvested. This process is quite long, and during this time, farmers could be earning profits from other crops, especially wheat and paddy, which the government purchases at MSP.
2. There is no minimum support price for haldi provided by the government, and hence farmers prefer crops where they have assured purchase.
3. Most farmers have limited marketing capabilities and would rather just grow the crop and sell it immediately to a direct customer.
4. Most farmers do not have the means and/or knowledge to invest in processing plants and machinery. 
5. Large traders have significant bargaining power in the market and therefore squeeze farmers.
6. Government schemes on crop diversification, such as haldi cultivation, have not been successfully implemented.

In conclusion, if crop diversification and processing are effectively pursued and marketed by the government through subsidies and regulated prices, I am sure haldi cultivation and processing would be a huge success in Punjab and would earn higher export dollars for the country.