In a first of its kind in the State as many as 600 self-help groups have united to start an ambitious project to produce turmeric in about 3000 acres in Sagar district of Bundelkhand region.
The project was taken on such a large scale since the climate of Bundelkhand region has been found suitable for the plant. The initiative was taken by District Poverty Initiative Project (DPIP).
For this, members of self-help groups were taken on an exposure tour to Sangli in Maharashtra and then through bank linkage, turmeric processing unit, polisher and bund farmer costing about `7 lakh were purchased. Through DPIP's efforts, preliminary work for turmeric production was started by Seed Producers Autonomous Cooperative Society at village Kharkhari in Sagar district.
DPIP's Sagar District project manager Harish Dube informed that turmeric farming has been started with the cooperation of production groups in 25 villages under Devari, Kesli, Tada, Maharajpur and Baroda Sagar clusters in Sagar district.
In the first year of the project, turmeric of Selam variety has been produced with technical methods for the first time in 24 acres by 30 farmers in eight villages of the district. It gave up to 150 quintal per hectare yield.
In-charge of Turmeric Production Programme and Cluster Coordinator Bhanuprakash Dube has prepared a booklet - "Bundelkhand Mein Haldi Utpadan" by compiling technical information. Intensive training is being imparted in villages using information contained in this booklet and other sets of information.
Under Turmeric Production Programme in Sagar district, members of self-help groups were sent for exposure tour to Sangli district of Maharashtra. At Sangli, DRIGS Turmeric Research Centre's in-charge Jitendra Kadamb informed the study team about scientific, technical and modern processing technical processing.
Following the tour, an action plan was chalked out with the cooperation of District Project Cooperation Unit to produce turmeric in 5 hectares each in Jaisi Nagar, Baroda Sagar, Tadha, Kesli and Devari clusters.
On the basis of crop yield results, it was decided to include turmeric production in agriculture-related priorities of the district in year 2013-14. Initiative is being taken to produce turmeric as an alternative to soyabean crop.
Under Turmeric Production Action Plan, clusters comprising 3 to 4 villages have been constituted. Production groups have also been constituted in every village.