Tamil Nadu - Erode   

Turmeric prices are stable

R. Sundaram

Farmers and traders want research centre set up in Erode

ERODE: Prices of finger and root varieties of turmeric have remained stable for the past few days in Erode. The Erode turmeric market is the second biggest turmeric market in India, where annually more than one lakh tonnes of turmeric are sold.

A leading turmeric merchant R.K. Viswanathan told this reporter that India was the second largest turmeric producing country in the world. Mr Viswanathan said: "Annually four lakh tonnes of turmeric is produced globally. Of this 75 per cent is produced in India." He said huge quantities of turmeric were produced in Erode, Salem, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai. He said soil in Erode was good and so too was water supply. Annually about 14 to 15 lakh bags (each bag contains 75 kilogram) of turmeric are produced.

In Erode out of the turmeric arrived for sales, 70 per cent is sold daily in the private Turmeric Association shandy. The remaining 30 per cent is sold through the Regulated Market and Erode and Gobichettipalayam Cooperative Marketing Societies. Mr Viswanathan said today the prices ranged from Rs 2,400 to Rs 2,500 per quintal. He hoped the same price would prevail till middle of October. He said the present rate was remunerative to farmers, but owing to increase in the cost of inputs, some farmers said this price was not enough to make any profit.

Farmers demanded the Government start a turmeric research centre at Erode, so that they wouldbe benefited by interacting with scientists at the centre.

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