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News: The Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) launched Mission Golden Spice to promote Meghalaya’s GI-tagged Lakadong turmeric globally.
About Mission ‘Golden Spice’
- Mission Golden Spice is an Integrated Lakadong Turmeric Value Chain Enhancement Project for turmeric cultivation and value chain development in Meghalaya.
- Initiative by: The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) launched the mission with the Government of Meghalaya.
- Implementing Agencies: The mission is anchored by MDoNER and the North Eastern Council (NEC) in collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya.
- Inter-Ministerial Convergence: The mission works with the Ministries of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Food Processing Industries, and Commerce, along with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Spices Board, National Turmeric Board, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), and Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC).
- Financial Outlay: The government has approved an outlay of ₹175.45 crore for the mission.
- Time Period: The mission will be implemented in two phases of an Five year roadmap (2025-2030)
- Implementation Phases:
- First phase: Focus on Value chain strengthening and expansion and scale up.
- Second phase: Promotion of Meghalaya’s Unique Selling Proposition(USP).
- Implementation Phases:
- Target: The mission aims to increase farmers’ remuneration from ₹30–40 per kilogram to nearly ₹80 per kilogram by 2030 and expand the cultivation area from about 2,500 hectares to 7,500 hectares.
About Lakadong Turmeric
- Cultivation Area: Lakadong turmeric is cultivated in the Lakadong area of the Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya.
- Special Quality: It contains 7–12% curcumin, which is nearly four times the world average.
- Recognition: It received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2024.
- Characteristics: The turmeric is darker in colour, is organically grown without fertilizers.
- Uses: It is used for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties.
- Unique Advantage: Meghalaya’s acidic, iron-rich soil and specific environmental conditions contribute to the unique qualities of Lakadong turmeric.
