Did you know that the humble spice turmeric has so many siblings? Over 100 varieties of spice turmeric, developed across the country, went on show over the weekend at the Turmeric Festival at the Indian Institute of Spices Research at Chelavoor near here.
The show provided information to visitors on all aspects of each variety turmeric, including its medicinal properties. Value-added turmeric products were also on display. Opening an awareness programme on ‘Provisions of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Right Act’ here on Saturday, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar said that at a time when spice crops were losing their lustre in the State, there was a need for value-addition to revive the sector.
Lamenting the loss of crops like millets, pulses, and spices in Kerala, the Minister stressed the need for cooperation between State and Central institutes and allied departments to regain the lost glory of the State as the spice bowl of the world.
For an effective protection
The programme was organised to provide an effective system for protection of plant varieties and the rights of farmers and plant breeders and to encourage the development of new varieties of plants. There were also technical sessions on varieties of turmeric, processing and value-addition and its organic production. The Minister granted non-exclusive licences for the new technologies developed by ICAR-IISR for start-ups and entrepreneurs for commercialisation. More than 250 farmers from across the State attended the event. ICAR-IISR Director K. Nirmal Babu, Central Horticulture Commissioner B.N.S. Murthy, former ICAR-IISR Director M. Anandaraj and Director of Indian Cardamom Research Institute (Mailadumpara) A.B. Remashree were present.
