The Centre on Tuesday launched Mission Golden Spice, a ₹175.45-crore initiative aimed at transforming Meghalaya’s GI-tagged Lakadong turmeric into a globally recognised premium spice while strengthening the entire value chain and boosting farmers’ incomes.
The Integrated Lakadong Turmeric Value Chain Enhancement Project was launched by Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia along with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. The five-year mission (2025–2030) will be implemented in two phases, beginning with value chain strengthening, followed by expansion and scale-up.
Anchored by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) and the North Eastern Council (NEC), the mission brings together multiple central ministries and agencies, including the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Food Processing Industries and Commerce, Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Spices Board, the National Turmeric Board, Indian Council Of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) and the Government of Meghalaya to develop an integrated ecosystem for turmeric cultivation, processing and marketing.
Scindia described Mission Golden Spice as an expression of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an “Atmanirbhar North East” and part of the broader “Ashtalakshmi” development strategy for the region. He said the Ministry had worked with all eight northeastern states to identify and promote a unique product from each state based on its comparative advantage, with Lakadong turmeric emerging as Meghalaya’s flagship product.
The Minister highlighted that Lakadong turmeric contains 7–10 per cent curcumin, nearly four times the global average, making it one of the world’s finest turmeric varieties with significant nutraceutical and export potential. He said the mission seeks to establish Meghalaya as the world’s leading source of high-curcumin organic turmeric.
Scindia said the initiative aims to nearly double farmers’ earnings from the current ₹30–40 per kilogram to around ₹80 per kilogram by 2030, while expanding the cultivation area from about 2,500 hectares to nearly 7,500 hectares.
He also recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had showcased Lakadong turmeric during the recent G7 Summit, generating interest among international leaders, and urged stakeholders to ensure that the product’s quality, authenticity and sustainability position it strongly in global markets.
Speaking at the event, CM Sangma said the mission builds on years of work undertaken by the state government, officials and farmers. He said it reflects the Union Government’s mission-mode approach of identifying one unique product from each northeastern state and creating a complete development model around it.
CM Sangma noted that repeated attempts to cultivate Lakadong turmeric outside Meghalaya had resulted in lower curcumin content, underscoring the unique agro-climatic conditions of the state. He added that the model could later be replicated for other Meghalaya products such as pineapple, ginger, jackfruit, honey and mushrooms.
Earlier, MDoNER Secretary Nivedita Shukla Verma said that despite Lakadong turmeric’s exceptional quality and premium market potential, small farmers have been unable to realise higher incomes due to inadequate processing facilities, weak market linkages, limited value addition and insufficient branding.
She said the mission seeks to address these structural challenges by developing modern processing infrastructure, reducing post-harvest losses, improving cold chain facilities, strengthening branding, promoting GI monetisation and creating better domestic and export market linkages.
The launch programme also featured the screening of a film on the mission, interactions with progressive turmeric farmers from Meghalaya and discussions with industry representatives and investors.
Meghalaya Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Timothy D. Shira described Lakadong turmeric as a symbol of the state’s indigenous knowledge and agricultural heritage. He said the mission would establish the Northeast’s largest integrated organic turmeric processing and curcumin extraction facility while placing women, who play a central role in turmeric cultivation and processing, at the heart of farmer institutions and value-chain enterprises.
Farmers from East and West Jaintia Hills who participated in the event said the initiative would help transform Lakadong turmeric from a raw agricultural commodity into a premium branded product, creating new income opportunities through processing, value addition and expanded market access.
MDoNER expects Mission Golden Spice to position Meghalaya’s GI-tagged Lakadong turmeric as a flagship “Brand North East” product in international markets while creating a sustainable and integrated value chain that benefits thousands of farmers across the state.
