Turmeric Board promotes IPM practices to boost spice crop exports

Turmeric Board promotes IPM practices to boost spice crop exports

HYDERABAD

The National Turmeric Board on Tuesday conducted a farmer awareness and quality improvement training programme at Kowtla (B) in Nirmal district to promote the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in turmeric cultivation.

Over 100 farmers and several Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) from turmeric-growing areas in the district attended the event. The Board selected Nirmal district for the initiative to ensure that pesticide residue levels in turmeric are reduced and overall quality is improved. It aims to reduce residue levels and promote residue-compliant turmeric suitable for premium export markets through the focused awareness programmes and training.

Speaking to farmers, Secretary of the Board N. Bhavani Sri explained the importance of adopting IPM practices to improve turmeric quality and strengthen India’s export potential. She stated that export markets such as the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Korea follow strict regulations for pesticide residues, aflatoxins and other contaminants.

Suggesting the farmers to adopt scientific cultivation practices at the farm level to ensure that turmeric meets international quality standards, she highlighted how biological, mechanical and botanical approaches could help farmers manage pests while reducing dependence on synthetic pesticides.

Use of biological agents such as ‘trichoderma viride and pseudomonas fluorescence’ along with pheromone traps and neem-based formulations could help manage diseases such as rhizome rot and maintain crop health. The Board Secretary said most turmeric export quality parameters were determined at the farm level. The adoption of good agricultural practices would play a crucial role in ensuring compliance with international standards.