Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha on Tuesday, March 11 questioned the Telangana government and Centre over the plight of turmeric farmers in Nizamabad district.
She questioned why the Telangana government was ignoring the agitation by farmers in Nizamabad. “Even the Nizamabad MP D Arvind, who said that the national turmeric board for the benefit of farmers is not paying attention to their concerns,” she remarked.
She also questioned Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar regarding the lack of support to turmeric farmers in Telangana despite his promise to increase the prices of turmeric at the inauguration of the national turmeric board.
Attacking the Congress, Kavitha said that during the campaign for Telangana Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi and chief minister A Revanth Reddy had promised to buy turmeric from farmers at Rs 15,000 per quintal and now turmeric is not even generating Rs 9,000 per quintal.
Kavitha urged the Telangana government to buy the turmeric at Rs 15,000 per quintal and requested the Centre to take measures to help the farmers.
National Turmeric Board in Telangana
The National Turmeric Board was officially inaugurated in Telangana’s Nizamabad district on January 14 by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal. BJP leader and turmeric farmer, Palle Gangareddy, has been appointed as the board’s chairman for a three-year term.
The creation of the National Turmeric Board was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 1, 2023, during a public meeting in Telangana. The board aims to support turmeric farmers across the supply chain, from value addition to infrastructure development.
Turmeric exports and economic impact
During the 2023-24 financial year, India exported 1.62 lakh tonnes of turmeric and turmeric products worth USD 226.5 million. The establishment of the board is expected to further boost the sector by providing better market access and support for farmers.
Political battle over the Turmeric Board
The demand for a dedicated turmeric board has been a contentious political issue in Nizamabad. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate Arvind Dharmapuri, who went on to defeat BRS leader and former chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter, K Kavitha, had promised to establish the board within five days of winning. To reinforce his commitment, he even signed the pledge on a non-judicial stamp paper.
However, in March 2023, the Centre informed Parliament that there was no proposal to establish a Turmeric Board in Nizamabad or any other constituency. This gave the BRS the ammunition they needed to criticize the BJP, accusing it of failing to deliver on its election promises.
With the board now officially established, the political debate surrounding its delay and execution continues to be a focal point in Telangana’s political landscape.
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