Cultivation of Turmeric and Establishment of processing unit

under conceptualization

Economic/Social Impact of the Project The North Eastern region offers great potential for large scale cultivation of many spices. In terms of area, turmeric is the third largest crop in the region. The biggest challenge faced by the turmeric growers in the region is lack of premium price for the produce. Post-harvest losses of almost all the farm produce in the region are very high due to near zero facility for their handling, processing, value addition, packaging and even organized marketing. The unique agro climatic condition of Mizoram is suitable for growing different varieties of spices specially turmeric, ginger and chilli. Reick and adjoining villages in Mamit Establishment District and Tlangsam village in Champhai District are one of the largest of processing hubs of Turmeric cultivation in the State. In the state of Mizoram, an acre of land is capable of producing turmeric worth as much as INR 150,000. Turmeric farmers currently rely on shifting cultivation to farm the precious crop, but with support, they would like to transition to permanent cultivation of turmeric on fertile terraces enriched with organic manure. Sustainable turmeric production would also increase the income of local families substantially. Turmeric is a short gestation period crop that can be harvested in about 8-9 months after sowing. This aspect makes it an ideal crop for the poor farmers in Mizoram