Meghalaya’s women-led spice revolution

The story of Lakadong turmeric goes beyond its high curcumin content—it’s about women farmers, SHGs, and cooperatives collectively shaping a thriving industry

Morung Express News
West Jaintia Hills | March 18

In the turmeric fields of West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, women—who have long been at the forefront of cultivating the golden spice Lakadong—are now steering it towards the global market.

Lakadong turmeric, known for its exceptionally high curcumin content (7-14%), has gained worldwide attention for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunity-boosting properties.

The high curcumin content is reportedly unique to West Jaintia Hills, as attempts to grow it elsewhere have failed to match its levels. On March 30, Lakadong turmeric received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Demand has surged both locally and internationally, with buyers ranging from health-conscious consumers to pharmaceutical industries.

However, the story of Lakadong turmeric is not just about its high curcumin content; it is about women farmers, SHGs, and cooperatives coming together and transforming the spice into a thriving industry.

For generations, women have been the backbone of Lakadong cultivation, managing everything from sowing to post-harvesting. Today, they are also leading processing units and cooperatives.

One such enterprise—Life Spices Processing Cooperative Society Ltd in Laskein village, West Jaintia Hills, 84 kilometres from Shillong—is run by 24 women members. Established in 2010, the society works with 30 villages under Laskein block, focusing on processing and adding value to Lakadong turmeric.

The unit, equipped with modern machinery like washers, slicers, pulverisers, solar dryers, and a curcumin extraction unit, can process up to 200 kilograms per day. Draped in their jainkyrshah, the women farmers methodically take on nearly every task involved in the process—from harvesting to sorting, cleaning, drying, slicing, powdering, sieving, and packaging.

Recently, the cooperative leased 50 acres of land, which has been entrusted to two women-led SHGs to further boost production. The cooperative also owns 30 acres of land cultivated by an Integrated Village Cooperative Society, while its members also farm individually.

However, Life Spices is just one of many women-led processing units in the Lakadong turmeric landscape. Across West Jaintia Hills, women-run SHGs, cooperatives, small enterprises, and village councils have come together to organise production, improve processing standards, and expand markets.

Proof women can drive business growth
Being a woman at the helm of such a venture has been an empowering experience, shared Tiemonlang Shylla, Secretary of Life Spices.

Interacting with a group of farmers from villages under Athibung sub-division and Dimapur during an exposure trip organised by the Wildlife Conservation Society India (WCS-I), she shared how this success has inspired her and other women to take the lead in various activities and programmes, proving that women can drive business growth even in agriculture.

Shylla also acknowledged her husband’s support, underscoring that while women take the lead, men’s support is more crucial than ever.

“Being women, how can we carry huge quantities or heavy burdens without our husbands’ help?” she remarked, highlighting the importance of family and community collaboration in entrepreneurship.

Shylla mentioned that the spice has even attracted the Russian military, while a trial shipment of 2,000 pouches of 100g turmeric was recently sent to Slovakia.

Mission Lakadong
The Meghalaya State Government, through its project Mission Lakadong, along with agencies like the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) and autonomous community-based organisations like the Eastern Region Marketing Cooperative Society (EaRMACS), has played a crucial role in supporting farmers and cooperatives by providing funding, market linkages, and technical assistance.

One game-changer has been the provision of solar-based dryers to SHGs. This low-cost drying technology has helped farmers process their turmeric more efficiently without relying on expensive electricity-based dryers.

According to Berniki, Deputy Manager at MBMA, solar dryers are cost-effective compared to electric dryers, which are expensive to operate and maintain. Most importantly, they speed up the drying process, unlike traditional sun-drying, which takes weeks. Reportedly, solar dryers reduce drying time to just a few days, allowing farmers to process and sell their crops faster while improving quality and market value.

While Lakadong turmeric has found eager buyers, one hurdle remains—the lack of a laboratory for scientific testing of curcumin content.

Even though Life Spices owns a quick curcumin content testing machine, Shylla pointed out that most buyers insist on lab-certified reports before making bulk purchases.

With no dedicated turmeric testing laboratory in Meghalaya or the North-East, Shylla sends samples outside, where each test costs between Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000—a significant burden for small producers.

To solve this issue, she plans to set up a testing lab, which would significantly cut costs and improve efficiency for local farmers.
Life Spices is also looking at producing turmeric capsules, aiming to tap into the growing nutraceutical and wellness market, Shylla revealed.

With growing worldwide demand and a GI tag to distinguish its authenticity, the women farmers of Lakadong turmeric are setting new benchmarks for community-led agricultural success.