Chitrakonda: Kandhamal is known for its organic turmeric cultivation as it has been a good cash crop for scores of people. Taking a leaf from Kandhamal farmers, many women farmers have replicated success in turmeric farming in Swabhiman Anchal under Chitrakonda block of Malkangiri district. They are earning in thousands annually, a report said.
Notably Chitrakonda, once a cut-off area, was a backward region, but now development is gradually taking shape.
The report said that organic turmeric farming has widely spread in forested and hilly pockets like Jodamba, Panasput, Andirapalli, Jantri and Gajulumamudi panchayats.
Significantly, many women farmers have taken up this farming and earn about Rs 40,000 on an average annually. In fact, turmeric farming has been empowering women in this Swabhiman Anchal.
Take the case of Alaka Sethi, a woman farmer of Panaspur area. She cultivates turmeric on an acre of land.
“Turmeric is harvested once in two years. As part of the traditional practice, turmeric seeds are cleaned and then boiled before they are laid to dry. I harvest about six to seven quintals of turmeric every year,” she added.
Traders take away turmeric from the doorstep at Rs 70 a kg and she earns about Rs 40,000 from it, she said.
Another locally known turmeric farmer is Kamsel Sethi of the same area. She said she also earns in thousands.
Besides these two farmers, many other women have been successfully farming turmeric in five panchayats.
Most of them said that lack of proper market linkages has been a major hurdle in promotion of this cultivation. “We could make more profits if we are provided with right kind of the marketing facility in the area,” they observed.
Most of the time, the turmeric farmers fail to sell their produce as its procurement price nosedives in the absence of marketing facility, it was alleged.
In many interior villages, farmers are not even approached by local traders. Those who are in urgent need of cash have no choice, but to sell turmeric at throwaway price, it was said.
Now, with Covid-19 sweeping across the region, some farmers face trading blues.
They also asserted that if turmeric is promoted with government support and market linkage, the area would be able to export to other areas. The turmeric produced here is of good quality which holds the key to a major source of earning for a large population in the area.
It may be noted here that the district administration has sent samples of turmeric from Swabhiman Anchal to New Dehli. The testing report found the samples of excellent quality.
Locals put forth several demands like setting up of a turmeric procurement centre, processing and storage units in the area.
Moreover, the horticulture department, the ITDA, Odisha Livelihood Mission and Mission Shakti should come out to promote this farming in the large interests of people, who have been suffering for lack of livelihood sources as development is gradually taking baby steps after Swabhiman bridge was commissioned.
PNN