Lakadong turmeric units in Meghalaya wait on certification, NEC review finds

The Secretary of the North Eastern Council (NEC) reviewed the Integrated Lakadong Turmeric Value Chain Enhancement Project in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district on October 23, 2026, and told the implementing team to secure certifications and regulatory approvals alongside construction. A bio-curcumin unit run by a farmers' cooperative at Laskein has not started operations because it is still waiting for ISO certification, and the Secretary warned that machinery could stand idle even after it is installed.

Lakadong turmeric is one of India's best-known heritage spices. It carries a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, a legal mark that links a product to the place it comes from and protects its name. It is grown in the hills of the Jaintia region, and its deep colour comes from curcumin, the natural compound that gives turmeric its yellow. Reports describe Lakadong as richer in curcumin than most common varieties, which is why the government is backing it as a premium, export-ready product.

Turmeric has a long place in Indian kitchens and household traditions, and curcumin is also sold as a supplement. It is important to keep tradition and evidence apart here: according to tradition, turmeric is valued for everyday wellbeing, but researchers say curcumin's possible benefits still need to be confirmed by sound clinical trials, and it is not an approved cure for any disease. The value of the Meghalaya project is about food quality, fair prices and safe processing, not medical claims.

The review shows why certification has become the key step. A processing unit can extract curcumin or pack turmeric powder, but without ISO and food-safety approvals its products cannot easily reach large buyers or export markets. That is why the NEC Secretary asked for approvals to be pursued at the same time as building work, rather than after it. Packaging, batch coding and traceability also matter, because buyers abroad can reject consignments that do not meet their standards on labelling or residues.

For farmers, the stakes are direct. Mission Golden Spice aims to raise what growers earn from about Rs 40 a kilogram to about Rs 83.70 a kilogram through better processing, branding and market links. Reports from 2023 put the number of Lakadong growers at about 14,000 farmers in 43 villages. The manure shortage they raised at the review points to a practical limit: organic cultivation, a large part of the spice's appeal, depends on steady supplies of farmyard manure.

Short-term: The cooperative at Laskein needs its ISO certificate before its bio-curcumin unit can run, and the Centralised Processing Unit moves towards tendering. Marketing centres are expected to tighten packaging and labelling.

Long-term: If the processing units start on time and meet export standards, more of Lakadong turmeric's value could stay with growers in the Jaintia Hills, instead of the raw spice being sold cheaply and processed elsewhere. Delays in certification, the review warned, could leave public investment idle.

Who is affected: Turmeric farmers and cooperatives in West and East Jaintia Hills, food processors and exporters, the Meghalaya government and central agencies running the mission, and households in India and abroad who buy Lakadong turmeric.

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