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Tumult over turmeric – ‘no cause’ for fungus alarm
View(s):Turmeric cultivators in Ampara harvesting their produce after nine long months of toil announced last week – to the astonishment of consumers – that their crops are infested with fungus.
The announcement came with the whole country agog for the prized spice, with imports being banned from December 2019.
Priced possession Pic by Padma Kumari Kankanange
The Department of Agriculture Export has, however, announced that disaster is not imminent and that the fungus has caused only mild damage.
Director Dr. A.P. Heenkanda said the loss to the country would be minimal, just 2-3 per cent, and that still it is possible to get the expected yield from cultivated crops.
The poor harvest in Ampara has been attributed to a lack of water and fertiliser.
Crops cultivated in other areas of the country, including Kegalle and Gampaha, remain lush and would yield the anticipated quantities, the department said.
“In two to three weeks they can harvest the crop,” Dr. Heenkanda said.
The department’s research team visited the Ampara area last March and advised farmers on the use of fungicide and soil preparation, and fertiliser for a better yield.
Around 25,000 metric tonnes will be harvested this year, of which 4,000 metric tonnes will be retained as seedstock and distributed to farmers.
The balance, when cured and processed, will yield around 3,500 metric tonnes, which is sufficient to cover half the country’s requirement. Sri Lanka needs 5,000 metric tonnes for a year.
The department plans to sell the seeds at a discounted rate of Rs.180-200 a kilo to paddy farmers to plant turmeric as a rotating crop.
Meanwhile, the smuggling of turmeric continues despite a strict watch being kept at ports and along the coastal belt.
Last week, the Sri Lanka Navy apprehended a dhow in the waters off Kuthiramalai in Puttalam and confiscated 1,680kg of turmeric and 150kg of cardamom. The goods were handed over to Customs at Katunayake, the navy said.
Navy spokesman, Captain Indika de Silva, said the navy had apprehended 50 metric tonnes last year. “We hand over the smuggled goods to the police or to the Customs as the case may be,” he said.
The Customs office said it had 15 metric tonnes of forfeited turmeric in storage.
Police Superintendent N.P. Ratnayake said to date, from last August, 25 incidents of smuggling had been confounded but added that just two cases had been investigated and finalised. Difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic had caused delays, police said.
Around 30 suspects have been apprehended, with most granted bail.
“Officers are unable to move around to different parts of the country and hold inquiries due to the situation in the country,” Superintendent N.P. Ratnayake said.
(CC)