Spicing up success: Women reap rewards with organic turmeric initiative

Women in the Dharampur region of Mandi district are rewriting the success story of agriculture by shifting from traditional farming to organic turmeric production. Their journey has been further boosted by the recent announcement from the state government to introduce a minimum support price (MSP) for turmeric, giving these women a much-needed boost in their earnings.

Currently selling turmeric at Rs 35 per kg, these women are elated with the government’s new MSP of Rs 90 per kg, which will nearly triple their income, and they are expressing their heartfelt gratitude to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for this decision.

One such woman, Kamlesh Kumari from Tanihar village in the Dharampur block, has seen a remarkable transformation in her life through turmeric farming. Her family had been involved in traditional farming for generations, but due to the challenges posed by unpredictable weather and crop damage by wild animals, they had to give up farming for a while. After joining the Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) in Dharampur, Kamlesh began cultivating turmeric on three to four fields, a crop that is not prone to damage from monkeys and other animals.

Kamlesh shared, “After receiving information from the Block Development Office in Dharampur, the women in our village formed the Jai Baba Kamalahiya Self-Help Group. Currently, six women are involved in this group, and we make pickles from local, natural products. Initially, we used to sell them at local shops, but we did not get good prices due to the lack of a strong brand. However, thanks to FPO, our products are now marketed under the brand name ‘Pahadi Ratan,’ which has significantly increased our profits.”

In addition to turmeric, Kamlesh and her group also raise dairy animals. On average, they earn between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 18,000 every month from these activities. Kamlesh expressed her deep gratitude to the Chief Minister for the announcement of the MSP for organic turmeric. “The decision to set the support price at Rs 90 per kg will undoubtedly benefit farmers, especially those who had abandoned farming due to the damage caused by wild animals. This step will encourage them to return to agriculture,” she added.

Sarojini Devi, another member of the self-help group “Shri Ann Women’s Processing Center” from Gharwazda, shared her journey of growing organic turmeric. Sarojini and her family had been cultivating maize, wheat, and ragi for years, but the crops were often damaged by rain or monkeys, leading to low returns despite hard work. In 2023, Sarojini joined the Dharampur FPO and learned about the organic turmeric project. The group planted turmeric on three to four bighas of land, and within a year, they saw a good yield.

Initially, the FPO bought the turmeric at Rs 25 per kg, but now, after processing and cleaning, the women are selling it for Rs 35 per kg. “We manage the entire process ourselves—from harvesting and drying to grinding and packaging. This has brought in an annual income of Rs. 1 to Rs. 1.5 lakh for our group,” Sarojini said. The increased income has helped her family financially, particularly in supporting her children’s education and other household needs. She also mentioned that many other farmers in the village have started cultivating turmeric, leading to a local production of 20 to 25 quintals of organic turmeric.

The success of these women highlights how support for organic farming, coupled with government initiatives like the MSP for turmeric, is empowering rural women, enhancing their income, and fostering local agricultural growth. The positive impact of this initiative is spreading across the region, and more farmers are following suit, turning Dharampur into a hub of organic turmeric farming.