Gujarat: Covid sows seeds of value addition in turmeric and ginger farming

VADODARA/ANAND: With herbal products flying off the shelves in Covid-19 times, farmers engaged in organic farming are now making a killing by adding value to their produce.
Many farmers, who include IT graduates and businessmen, are seeing their incomes double and triple by launching their own brands of value-added turmeric and ginger crops.
IT graduate Devesh Patel, who chose to be son of the soil, literally, recently launched his own brand of capsules, lattes, powder and pickles from organic turmeric and ginger grown on 35 bigha land in Boriyavi in Anand district.He was already supplying organic produce to a large number of retail stores in major markets of Gujarat, metros like Mumbai and even ‘khadi gram udyogs,’ earning Rs 30 lakh to Rs 40 lakh per annum.
Now, his income has tripled to Rs 1.5 crore a year from exports to the West now. “Coronavirus pandemic was the natural trigger to make turmeric capsules. Results of turmeric consumed by mixing with water are seen after 45 days while with milk it is seen in a week or so, but the capsule’s effects are seen immediately.”
He is now planning to tie up with people in the US to sell these capsules under the third-party packaging. “Through crop rotation, I am growing 15 tonnes of dry turmeric and ginger each per annum which are later dehydrated,” said 38-year-old Devesh, who has shifted focus to nutraceutical products, after the pandemic
Around eight to 10 progressive farmers in central Gujarat are now involved in value-addition to their farm produce.
Anuj Patel, an engineer having a farm in Sindhrot, is now earning 25% to 30% more with value addition. “I started with pulses and rice and switched to turmeric and ginger now. Initially, whatever was unsold in the market used to be processed, but now since the turmeric and ginger powders as well as processed tur dal give more returns, I have stopped selling raw products,” said Anuj, who works in the production department of a private company.
He added that by selling processed farm produce there is no problem of waste and the issue of storage is also resolved.
Chintan Shah, a native of Surat whose family is involved in the textiles business, too started chemical and pesticides-free farming in Gambhira of Anand district four years back. “If I go to market to sell the raw products, the middleman will decide the price and even if a farmer pushes, he will not be able to get more than Rs 25 for one kg of raw ginger,” he said. Shah sells turmeric powder for Rs 325 to Rs 350 per kg.