Rukum: The Triveni Labour Cooperative, located in Triveni rural municipality in Rukum West, is gearing up to export locally-produced turmeric to Germany. With the establishment of a processing center, the cooperative is poised to start exporting turmeric from November this year.

The cooperative initially sent dried turmeric rhizome slices to Germany for trial, and the feedback received indicated that the quality met the required standards. Encouraged by this, the cooperative is now ready to process turmeric slices for export. This endeavor is expected to commence in November.

Sher Bahadur Malla, Chairperson of the Cooperative, stated that around 200 members of the cooperative have cultivated turmeric this season. The cooperative aims to export turmeric slices produced by its members in the first phase. However, the turmeric produced within the rural municipality alone may not be sufficient to meet the export demand, so the cooperative has encouraged farmers from other areas in the district to also cultivate turmeric.

The establishment of an industry for processing and producing turmeric has been a significant development in the region. While traders have traditionally purchased turmeric from local farmers, the newly established ginger and turmeric processing center in Triveni Rural Municipality will directly buy the produce from local farmers.

The Karnali Province Government provided Rs 15 million in funding to the cooperatives for setting up the required physical infrastructure and machinery for the processing center. The cooperative has also invested Rs 48,000 in operating the processing plant.

Farmers in the region are optimistic about receiving fair prices for their turmeric produce now that they have access to international markets, such as Germany. This export initiative has the potential to boost the local economy and provide additional income for farmers in the area.