NEW DELHI — Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, alongside Meghalaya Chief Minister Shri Conrad K. Sangma, has officially launched “Mission Golden Spice – Integrated Lakadong Turmeric Value Chain Enhancement Project”.
The ₹175.45-crore convergence-led initiative is designed as a five-year roadmap (2025–2030) to transform Meghalaya’s GI-tagged Lakadong turmeric—renowned for its exceptionally high curcumin content of 7–10%—into a premium, globally competitive luxury brand.
Strategic Framework & Target Outcomes
The initiative will be implemented in two distinct phases: Phase 1 focused on Value Chain Strengthening followed by Phase 2 dedicated to Expansion & Scale-up.
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Income & Area Expansion: The mission aims to nearly double farmer remuneration—increasing prices from ₹30–40/kg to approximately ₹80/kg by 2030—while expanding cultivation area from 2,500 hectares to nearly 7,500 hectares.
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Infrastructure & Processing: The project will address critical structural gaps by establishing the North East’s largest integrated organic turmeric processing and curcumin extraction facility, targeting cold chain infrastructure, post-harvest losses, and direct buyer linkages.
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Multi-Agency Convergence: Anchored by MDoNER and the North Eastern Council (NEC), the mission integrates schemes from the Ministries of Agriculture, Food Processing, Commerce, APEDA, Spices Board, National Turmeric Board, ICAR, MeitY, NABARD, and SFAC.
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Women-Led Growth & Local USP: Highlighting the central role of women in production and processing, the project aligns with the Centre’s “Ashtalakshmi” vision to build end-to-end ecosystems around unique state-specific agricultural products.
