Dim days for turmeric farmers
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 19 2024: Hard work always pays off and such is the case of Ebumna Farmer's Group which has been giving a source of income to dozens of people in Chandel district by letting them plant turmeric on large tracts of fields.

Despite still employing many women, the farmer's group has lately become a shadow of its former self like many other business establishments due to the situation the State has been in since the evening of May 3, 2023 .

Despite the downturn, the farmer's group has been showing entrepreneurial resilience and is still hopeful that better days will come.

Based in Salamthar village near Komlathabi in Chandel, Ebumna Farmer's Group was established three years back.

Dim days for turmeric farmers

Speaking to The Sangai Express, chairman of Ebumna Farmer's Group HB Kobor Anal said that they used to let different self help groups of women plant turmeric at Machi Sub-Division (5 hectare approx), Saibol (2-3 hectare approx), Khudei Khullen (5 hectare approx) and at 15 different villages before Manipur was hit by a series of crises triggered by the madness Manipur saw on the evening of May 3 last.

He said that Ebumna Farmer's Group procures the raw turmeric at around Rs 15 to Rs 30 per kg depending on the season and availability.

Saying that drying the turmeric takes about a week, Kobor Anal continued that five kilograms of turmeric can normally produce about a kilogram of dried turmeric.

He further stated that they used to sell the dried turmeric at around Rs 140 to Rs 150 per kg to companies outside Manipur and got about Rs 5 or Rs 6 (profit) per kilogram before violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 .

Kobor went on to state that they got the inspiration to plant turmeric widely after one non local bought 200 kilograms of turmeric from them and spoke highly of the quality of the turmeric planted in their area.

About four companies based outside Manipur used to buy dry turmeric in bulk regularly before clash erupted in Manipur, Kobor Anal said and rued that the companies have stopped ordering for dry turmeric due to the situation in Manipur.

Even if there is order for dry turmeric, there is a problem in transporting the turmeric due to frequent imposition of bandhs and blockades, Kobor Anal said.

He said that the content of curcumin is lower in turmeric grown in Chandel as compared to the Lakadong turmeric of Meghalaya.

Saying that they used to produce about 200 metric tonnes of turmeric annually, he added they can now grow only about 30 metric tonnes of turmeric owing to the situation and sell them at Pallel, Thoubal and some other places.

Ebumna Farmer's Group employs a few dozen women to wash, slice and dry the turmeric and give them about Rs 300 to Rs 400 per person daily.

The machine used to slice turmeric was bought at Rs 50,000, he added.

Saying that they haven't received any assistance from the Government as of yet, Kobor Anal continued that they also sell ginger but couldn't make much profit from it.

Ebumna Farmer's Group also procures cinnamon from people at the Indo-Myanmar border at around Rs 110 to Rs 120 per kg, he said.