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Turmeric production in Erode was the second highest some years back, next to Nizamabad and also the turmeric trade was also flourishing. But now the trade is in a trembling state due to poor demand, both locally and from the upcountry markets.
This may be due to the availability of good quality turmeric at cheaper prices from other States. Even the local Masala firms are buying turmeric from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra due to lower price.
“For the past couple of years we are seeing demand dropping consistently, so we are cautiously quoting the price and buying the same. The spice was cultivated over about 70,000 acres of land in Tamil Nadu but now it has decreased to about 40,000 acres. The farmers, for want of getting feasible price, have reduced the acreage and have switched over to other cash crops like banana,” said RKV Ravishankar, President, Erode Turmeric Merchants Association.
Dwindling share
He said every year Tamil Nadu’s share was about 10 lakh bags (of 70 kg each) of turmeric, but now there are only about 7- 8 lakh bags approximately that come to market. Further, all the traders in North India are having stock and so they have decreased the buying, he added.
C Nallasamy, President, Lower Bhavani Project Ryots Association, said, “Once turmeric was a golden crop for the farmers, but now for want of getting feasible price they have decreased the cultivation. On an acre of land a farmer may get 20 quintals but he has to spend ₹1.50 lakh as cultivation cost/acre. Now the crop is selling at ₹5,500-6,000 a quintal and the farmers are incurring huge loss.”
He said at present the turmeric is cultivated over 14,000 acres in Erode district and the State Government has decided to start a “Turmeric Centre” near Modakurichi.
MSP demand
Erode turmeric traders say that the upcountry demand is decreasing every year. Last year, finger variety was sold at ₹6,000-6,500 a quintal and this year too it is selling at about ₹6,000.
Erode farmers are demanding that the government procure all the turmeric directly at ₹10,000 a quintal.
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