Bilaspur Farmer Starts Cultivating Black Turmeric on Two Bighas for Higher Income

Farmer Ram Dayal of Rajpura in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district has started cultivating black turmeric on his two-bigha plot of land, with the aim of increasing his income. He bought the black turmeric rhizomes from Jan Kalyan Sabha Paprola in Baijnath and has been preparing the crop on his farmland.

According to Ram Dayal, it takes around one year for the black turmeric crop to become ready. Its price in the market is being quoted at around Rs 300 per kilogram. He said the crop offers the possibility of earning lakhs of rupees, depending on the production and the market price.

A delegation of Jan Kalyan Sabha reached Rajpura to inspect the black turmeric crop being prepared by Ram Dayal. The delegation reviewed the crop and gathered information from the farmer about its production and prospects.

Ram Dayal said he had purchased the black turmeric rhizomes from Baijnath. He explained that if around one quintal of rhizomes is planted on one bigha of land, the production can reach up to 10 quintals of black turmeric.

He further said that at a market price of Rs 300 per kilogram, the value of 10 quintals of the crop comes to around Rs 3 lakh. It is this possibility that led him to begin black turmeric cultivation on two bighas of land.

The farmer said the local weather conditions are suitable for black turmeric cultivation. He also said that the crop faces less risk of damage from stray cattle, wild animals and monkeys.

Black turmeric is known as a medicinal plant, and its demand in the market is said to be linked to its medicinal importance. It is also being described as an important plant for anti-cancer medicine.

Chunni Lal, president of Jan Kalyan Sabha, said the organisation is creating awareness among farmers across Himachal Pradesh about black turmeric production. He said the objective is to provide farmers with information about the cultivation of medicinal crops and connect them with new income options.

Chunni Lal also said that the Sabha has seeds of jatamansi and wild marigold available free of cost. Farmers interested in cultivating these crops can contact the Sabha.

He said that by planting black turmeric rhizomes worth around Rs 60,000 on one bigha of land, a farmer can prepare a crop worth up to Rs 3 lakh in one year. According to him, the cultivation of medicinal crops can help increase farmers’ income and strengthen their economic condition.

The initiative in Rajpura has brought attention to black turmeric as a possible additional crop for farmers. Ram Dayal’s cultivation is based on rhizomes purchased from Baijnath, while the Jan Kalyan Sabha is working to spread information about the crop and other medicinal plants among farmers across the state.