‘Dummy’ varieties threaten Meghalaya’s Lakadong turmeric

Agriculture Minister M. Ampareen Lyngdoh said turmeric products in other States were being mislabelled and marketed as the GI-tagged spice

Growers of the exotic Lakadong turmeric in Meghalaya are facing the heat from “dummy” varieties of the famed spice with geographical indication (GI).

Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, the president of the regional Voice of the People Party, said he had attended a programme involving local turmeric growers who said their sales have dipped because of packaged turmeric being sold as the Lakadong variety.

“The sales are going down because people from other States have planted the Lakadong variety by taking the rhizomes from here. They sell the produce by using the Lakadong name,” he said.

“Consumers find it difficult to differentiate between the original Lakadong and the dummy ones that misuse the name of Lakadong,” Mr. Basaiawmoit said.

The Lakadong turmeric is considered one of the best in the world due to its medicinal properties and curcumin content of up to 12%. The curcumin content of other turmeric varieties is 2-3%.

Source: TheHindu.com