The task force committee of the Spices Board of India on Wednesday adopted a resolution to ensure minimum support price (MSP) for turmeric from Telangana government, by taking the cost of cultivation into consideration.
The task force committee, a flagship orgsation for the development of Indian spices under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, convened a meeting in Nizamabad on Wednesday to discuss on grievances of turmeric farmers and later passed the resolution.
Officials of the board, scientists, farmers, academicians from nine states along with Nizamabad BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind were present in the meeting in which the officials recommended that turmeric is a crop and not a spice. Thus, it should be included in key commodities.
BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri blamed erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Congress leadership for including turmeric in spices board when it was formed in 1987.
He claimed that Kerala Congress leaders were successful in their attempt as they did not want to be included in spices. "Coconut has separate board and MSP but its exports are less than Rs 2,000 crore. But turmeric has no board, no MSP, no market support and fully neglected for 32 years yet it has an export of 1,200 crores," he said.
Stressing that turmeric has many medicinal values, Dharmapuri demanded that a special board for turmeric should be formed and MSP should be fixed.
( With inputs from ANI )