The establishment of the National Turmeric Board, with the objective of promoting turmeric production and advancing research and innovation, marks a pivotal step in aligning India’s rich legacy of indigenous varieties of turmeric with the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. India produces around 30 varieties of turmeric across 20 states. In a globalised world, where India has to compete with countries like Bangladesh, Fiji, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar in producing high-quality turmeric with unique distinctive characteristics, will a geographical indication (GI) tag help in securing export markets?
The GI-tag is a distinctive sign used to identify a product whose quality, reputation, or characteristics such as aroma, relate to its geographical origin. GI status gives consumers a guarantee of authenticity, quality and distinctiveness linked to origin, and adequate protection against counterfeit products can be secured under trade negotiations. While India has many unique agriculture products and is negotiating GI in its trade agreements, GI-tags in agriculture is limited. For example, while the EU has 3,500 GIs, within which 1610 (46%) are agriculture products as of February 2023; India has only 654 GI-tagged products, out of which 203 (31%) are in agriculture produce (as of December 2024). Only 6 GI-tags [namely, Erode (Tamil Nadu), Kandhamal Haldi (Odisha), Lakadong (Meghalaya), and Sangli, Waigaon, and Vasmat (Maharashtra)] are in turmeric. This is much lower than potential given that India is the world’s largest producer of turmeric, producing 1170000 MT of turmeric in 320800 hectares in FY 2022-23 (over 70% share in the world’s turmeric production).
Definitely, the country has potential for more GI-tags for turmeric. Initiatives like One District One Product (ODOP), highlight the potential of turmeric from 30 districts across India, like Black turmeric (Odisha), Alleppey (Kerala), Pratibha (Telangana), Roma (Madhya Pradesh) and Duggirala (Andhra Pradesh); each exhibiting unique properties.
Safeguarding authenticity
While GI-tag is essential to safeguard authenticity, preserve traditional knowledge, and enhance the marketability of the product; securing it is a complex and time-consuming process that requires technical and financial support and strategic partnerships.
The four-year journey of Lakadong Turmeric from an unknown product in the year 2020 to a GI-tag product in 2024 is an excellent example of multi-stakeholders’ collaboration between the Meghalaya Farmers’ (Empowerment) Commission, local government bodies, state agricultural departments, and farmer cooperatives.
Another example is that of Kandhamal Haldi (Odisha), with support from organisations such as the Kandhamal Apex Spices Association for Marketing (KASAM). Such success stories can be replicated for other ODOP turmeric.
Not enough to secure premiums
Globally, there is a growing demand for turmeric with high curcumin content (over 5%), and low maximum residue levels, but some of our GI-tag products are low in curcumin content. For example, Erode Turmeric (2.5-4.5% curcumin), Vasmat Haldi (3.4%) and Sangli (2.8–4.3%).
A survey-based study by the authors shows that while GI certification plays a crucial role in market differentiation, it is not sufficient to secure price premiums or market access. High curcumin content, with lower levels of pesticides and insecticides, along with GI-tag can help to increase farmers’ income and exports.
Localised R&D can improve the soil quality. Process innovation can reduce the loss in curcumin content. Post-harvest processing infrastructure can be strengthened by creating processing hubs, with plug-and-play options and common processing facilities. This will help to secure our export markets and go up the value chain.
The Turmeric Board can identify products with high curcumin content (over 5%) and distinctive characteristics for application of GI-tags and support R&D and innovation towards more value-added products using turmeric, which can be sold in both domestic and global markets. India may use GI negotiations in its trade agreements to improve protection of its GI products and enhance intellectual property (IP) enforcement.
Professor and Research Assistant respectively at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). Views are personal. Authors can be contacted at arpita@icrier.res.in and tkhanna@icrier.res.in
