Bhubaneswar: The rich history of India as a prominent spice-producing nation can be largely attributed to its diverse climatic conditions, which provide an ideal environment for cultivating a wide array of spice crops. One illustrative example is the thriving growth of turmeric in India’s tropical regions characterized by abundant rainfall. On the other hand, spices like cumin find their flourishing grounds in cooler and drier subtropical areas.
Turmeric holds a significant place in this legacy, particularly in the Kandhamal district of Odisha. Kandhamal Turmeric was granted a GI (Geographical Indication) tag on April 1st, 2019 (Utkal Dibas), recognizing it as ‘KandhamalHaladi,’ and enhancing its brand value by highlighting its unique qualities.
The Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DA&FE) has been implementing revolutionary initiatives such Spices Mission under the State sector scheme “Development of Potato, Vegetable, and Spices” to achieve self-sufficiency in spice production and marketing. The Mission will continue in the State till 2025-26 with the objective to expand the cultivation area to cover 2.5 lakh hectares. The Department now aims to cover a variety of spice crops, including seed spices spanning over 1000 hectares.
Giving his insight on this Spices Mission by Odisha Government, Principal Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, says: “Our vision is to harness the diverse agro-climatic zones of Odisha and leverage them to establish the state as a powerhouse in spice cultivation. This mission is a testament to our commitment to empower local farmers, promote sustainable agricultural practices and preserve our rich spice heritage. We believe that, by supporting a variety of spice crops, including the cultivation of seed spices, we can create a comprehensive and robust spice ecosystem that will not only enhance the livelihoods of our farmers, mostly tribal, but also elevate the reputation of Odisha’s spices on both the national and international arena.”
To pave the way for diversification into other spices, the Directorate of Horticulture under DA&FE organized a sensitization workshop for officers and field officials on August 25th at the Centre of Excellence, Deras, Bhubaneswar. The workshop focused on advanced agro-techniques for spice crop production, value addition, processing, and marketing of the produce, aimed at enhancing the income of spice growers who are cultivating crops in various agroclimatic conditions of Odisha.
Eminent figures such as Dr. Shailendra Saxena, Principal Scientist (Plant Physiology) from the National Research Centre on Seed Spices in Ajmer, Rajasthan; Pratyush Ranjan Singh, Deputy Team Leader & Agri Business Expert from the Indo-German Cooperation on Agriculture Market Development in Jaipur, Rajasthan; and Subash Chandra Swain, HoD of Fruit Science & Technology at OUAT, Bhubaneswar, attended the workshop. They provided training to the participants on various spice crops including Turmeric, Ginger, Coriander, Black Pepper, Cumin, Fennel, Fenugreek, and other Seed Spices, as part of the Spices Mission, aimed at improving field management.
Under the Spices Mission, the Department had set a target to cultivate 2070 hectares of Kharif Onion, 11000 hectares of Chilli, 4875 hectares of Coriander, 1927.8 hectares of Turmeric, and 650 hectares of ginger, across the State in the current year. Remarkable progress has been made, as 2070 hectares of Kharif Onion, 11000 hectares of Chilli, 4875 hectares of Coriander, 1880 hectares of Turmeric, and 50 hectares of ginger have been successfully cultivated. The success of the Mission is attributed to DA&FE’s effort to provide certified seed materials to farmers at subsidized rates.
In a significant development, the Department recently allocated Rs 2 Crores as a Revolving Fund to the Kandhamal Apex Spices Association for Marketing (KASAM), with the aim of streamlining turmeric and spice procurement as well as market linkages in the Kandhamal district. This initiative is expected to offer livelihood support to farmers of the district and boost spice production in the area.
To facilitate smooth implementation of this initiative, the revolving fund has been disbursed to the Collector & District Magistrate (DM) of Kandhamal, who also serves as the President of KASAM. The fund will be managed within a designated bank account solely under the Collector’s control. This provision will remain in effect as long as the Collector continues to hold the position of KASAM President.
