Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: The Centre and the Meghalaya government officially launched the Meghalaya Lakadong Turmeric Integrated Development Mission on Tuesday. This Rs 175.45-crore project aims to turn the state’s GI-tagged turmeric into a globally competitive export product. Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, and Agriculture Minister Timothy D. Shira kicked off the initiative at Sanchar Bhavan in New Delhi.
Known as Mission Golden Spice, the five-year plan runs through 2030. It focuses on the West and East Jaintia Hills. The region produces turmeric with 7 to 10 percent curcumin content, far outpacing the 2 to 3 percent found in ordinary varieties. Scindia declared the Northeast is no longer on the periphery of the country's development. He said, "Our northeastern states are no longer the periphery of the developmental paradigm but have now become the centre of India's development."
The project targets an increase in annual production to 49,400 metric tonnes by 2030. It will expand cultivation from 2,500 hectares to 7,000 hectares, bringing total state output to approximately 60,000 metric tonnes. Officials aim to double farmer remuneration to Rs 80 per kg, raising earnings from roughly Rs 40,000 to Rs 83,700 per 1,000 kg. This effort will benefit more than 17,500 farming families, with women projected to handle 99 percent of processing and institutional roles.
Funding comes from multiple agencies. The Ministry of DoNER and the North Eastern Council will provide Rs 87.62 crore for infrastructure. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare is contributing Rs 58.10 crore for organic certification and production. The Meghalaya government will invest Rs 29.73 crore for branding, working capital, and traceability systems. Plans include an integrated processing and extraction facility in West Jaintia Hills costing Rs 41.69 crore, along with 28 packhouses and 28 cluster warehouses.
The mission intends to secure new export markets in the United States, European Union, Japan, and the Gulf. Beyond turmeric, Chief Minister Sangma confirmed the state is developing similar value chains for pineapple, ginger, jackfruit, honey, and mushrooms. The launch event featured interactions with Padma Shri recipient Trinity Saioo and farmer Jhanika Siangshai to discuss local cultivation success.
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