Turmeric Board Secretary N. Bhavani Sri was addressing an information session held for farmers in Nirmal district on Tuesday.
HYDERABAD
The National Turmeric Board on Tuesday conducted an awareness and quality training program for farmers at Kowtla (B) in Nirmal district to promote the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in turmeric cultivation.
More than 100 farmers and several Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) from turmeric growing areas of the district participated in the event. The board has 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 awareness and training programmes.
Speaking to the farmers, Board Secretary N. Bhavani Sri explained the importance of adopting IPM practices to improve the quality of turmeric and boost India’s export potential. It said export markets such as the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Korea are subject to strict regulations for pesticide residues, aflatoxins and other contaminants.
She suggested farmers adopt scientific cultivation practices at the farm level to ensure that turmeric meets international quality standards and highlighted how biological, mechanical and botanical approaches could help farmers manage pests while reducing reliance on synthetic pesticides.
The use of biological agents such as ‘trichoderma viride and pseudomonas fluorescence’ along with pheromone traps and neem based preparations could help manage diseases such as rhizome rot and maintain crop health. The secretary of the board said that most of the quality parameters of turmeric exports were set at the farm level. The adoption of good agricultural practices would play a key role in ensuring compliance with international standards.
Issues such as aflatoxin contamination, microbial contamination including salmonella and pesticide residue levels were often associated with growing practices, post-harvest handling, moisture management and drying techniques.
She said organic production was important for good exports and said the conversion process would require land replenishment and a transition period of nearly three years to meet certification requirements. Once IPM practices are in place, the transition to organic farming would become easier in the next phase, she noted.
In the past, the board has implemented a pilot project to promote exports in the Morthad region and is working closely with progressive farmers to develop organic and residue-free cultivation techniques. The board secretary said the country has exported about 1.76 million tonnes of turmeric worth about US$ 341.54 million in 2024-25.
Published – 10 March 2026 20:47 IST
