Chennai, Jan 5 (AHN) Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, on Monday said the Centre would move to establish a regional office of the National Turmeric Board (NTB) in Erode, Tamil Nadu, along with an accredited turmeric testing laboratory, to strengthen the turmeric ecosystem in one of the country’s key production hubs.

Responding to a representation submitted by M. Sathyamurthy, secretary of the Erode Turmeric Merchants and Godown Owners’ Association, the Minister said the NTB - headquartered in Nizamabad, Telangana - functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

He assured that he would take up the proposal with the Ministry to establish the NTB’s regional office at Manjal Maanagaram, popularly known as Turmeric City.

Chouhan also announced that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) would be directed to set up an accredited turmeric testing laboratory in Erode. The facility is expected to support quality testing, research, and certification, benefiting farmers, traders and exporters alike.

On the demand for developing new turmeric varieties with higher curcumin content, he said ICAR would actively pursue research and breeding programmes to meet market and medicinal requirements.

Addressing marketing challenges, the Minister said the Union government would promote the sale of turmeric across the country through e-commerce platforms to widen market access and improve price realisation for farmers.

He also assured strict action against illegal turmeric trading to protect growers’ interests and ensure fair and remunerative prices.

Highlighting operational constraints faced by turmeric cultivators, Chouhan said machinery would be developed for harvesting, drying and processing turmeric to reduce labour dependence and post-harvest losses.

He added that the Centre would soon roll out a new scheme aimed at value addition in turmeric, enabling farmers to move beyond raw produce and earn higher returns.

The Minister further noted that improved storage facilities could be established under existing Central government schemes with subsidy support, allowing farmers and traders to better manage storage and price volatility.

Earlier, the Union Minister visited the turmeric association premises in Erode, where he inspected various turmeric varieties on display and enquired about their medicinal properties. He showed particular interest in the GI-tagged Erode Virali, a tuber variety of turmeric.

He also received petitions from farmers and traders detailing issues related to cultivation and marketing, inspected a turmeric field, and interacted with workers in the region.