Daringbadi: Turmeric produced in the Kandhamal district has carved a niche for itself in India. The coffee produced here in Kandhamal district is also not far behind and is slowly catching attention from commoners to connoisseurs, sources said Sunday. The matter came to the fore after Prime Minister Narendra Modi bought two packets of Daringbadi coffee from a stall of Kandhamal put up at the ongoing Aadi Mahotsav (Adivasi Mela) which was inaugurated Thursday by him at Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi. The PM appreciated the turmeric and other traditional food grains and products displayed in the stall. Modi went around various stalls and enquired about the products on display.
Later, he stopped at the Kandhamal stall and talked to officials Suresh Pradhan and Malay Pradhan. The PM asked about various products on display like turmeric, millet, mustard, ginger and Daringbadi coffee, and other traditional products. He also bought two packets of coffee cultivated in the traditional organic manner in Daringbadi. Malay informed him about the process taken to produce the coffee. Modi also interacted with Daringbadi FPCL regarding GItagged Kandhamal turmeric (haldi) and enquired about traditional farming being followed in Daringdabi, sources said. The festival is an annual initiative of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation Limited (TRIFED) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.