War in West Asia Causes Turmeric Prices to Tumble in Nizamabad Market
Farmers of the state are worried. They have asked the state and central governments to intervene and save them from acute loss.
Nizamabad: War between the US-Israel combine and Iran has affected the exports of turmeric to the Gulf. As a result, the condiment’s market prices in Telangana, particularly in the undivided Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Adilabad districts, have tumbled.
Farmers of the state are worried. They have asked the state and central governments to intervene and save them from acute loss.
Presently, 7,366 quintals of finger and 3,956 quintals of bulb variety of turmeric have reached the Nizamabad Agriculture Market yard for sale. The price offered is between ₹14,666 and ₹9,500 for finger and from ₹12,299 to ₹8,009 for the bulb variety.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, turmeric farmers Pustem Srinivas, Ippa Sangaiah, and Itikala Linga Reddy lamented that they never expected such a decrease in turmeric price during the peak season. These prices are against the remunerative price of ₹18,000 to ₹16,000 declared before the war.
The farmers regretted that though the central government has set up the Turmeric Board in Nizamabad, it has not involved itself in stabilisation of the condiment’s prices.
The crisis has come about because exports to countries other than in the Gulf have also come to a halt, except for Bangladesh, whose price is not remunerative. The Sangli market in Maharashtra is also down. Farmers from Telangana sold their products in Sangli if prices are not conducive in their state. But that market too is down.
Farmers are hoping that the situation may change in the next couple of days.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Nizamabad market committee officials said: “We are trying to provide a remunerative price for turmeric.”
In the interim, some farmers have shifted their turmeric to godowns, anticipating an increase in prices of the condiment.
