“I have, so far, shared the newly developed turmeric variety with some 500 farmers located in the villages spread in the districts of Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, and Raigad,” says 48-year-old farmer Sachin Kamlakar Karekar of Abloli village, 55 km from Chiplun, in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district.

The variety, SK4, is a high-yielding turmeric cultivar created by Karekar. He was among a select group of grassroots innovators honoured by President Draupadi Murmu at the 11th Biennial National Grassroots Innovation and Outstanding Traditional Knowledge Awards.

From local variety to innovation

With more than 30 varieties grown in different states, SK4 is the newest addition to the family of Curcuma Longa — the yellow spice we use in our food, ceremonies, and traditional Indian medicine.

The Sangli’s Rajapuri Salem variety accounts for 70% of Maharashtra’s turmeric production. Though grown in over 20 states, the largest share is contributed by four — Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. In 2022-23, India produced 11.61 lakh tonnes of turmeric........

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