KATHMANDU

Turmeric worth 20 million has been sold this year from Siddhipur village, located in the Chaudandi Gadhi municipality of Udayapur. The farmers of Siddhipur have been involved in commercial turmeric farming since 1992. Out of 50 households in Siddhipur, 30 are cultivating turmeric commercially, said Netra Bahadur Pulami Magar, a farmer in Siddhipur.

Though turmeric cultivation started in the village in 1992, all the villagers have started cultivating turmeric commercially since 2002, and now the village itself has become a turmeric farming zone, added Magar. Now more than two million rupees worth of turmeric is sold annually from the village. According to another farmer, Indra Bahadur Magar, there has been an increase in cultivation and production since the introduction of new modern varieties of turmeric.

He said that one household earns more than three hundred thousand dollars annually from turmeric sales. Traders from Biratnagar have been coming to buy turmeric from the village around November and December every year. Ward member Devi Magar of Chaudandi-6 said that turmeric has been the source of financial income for Siddhipur residents.

According to the District Agricultural Knowledge Center in Udayapur, turmeric is currently being grown on 559 hectares of land in Udayapur district. The information officer of the center, Phoolmaya Sherpa, said that Siddhipur village has the highest production of turmeric in the district and has been designated a turmeric zone. Similarly, Saune, Khambu of Triyuga municipality, Ampatar of Rautamai rural municipality, Valayadanda of Udayapurgadhi rural municipality, Risku of Katari municipality, along with Dumre and Mainamaini of Belaka municipality, are important turmeric production areas, according to the Agricultural Knowledge Center.