Nagpur: Sonali Loharikar, the businesswoman from city who exported oranges last season to Dubai by air, is all set to venture into a completely new field of exporting the Waigaon haldi (turmeric) to Oman. Her company SDF Productions Pvt Ltd has tied up with the Oman based Fortune Bio Organics (FBO) company for supplying 4000 tonnes of turmeric annually from 2019 onwards. The turmeric to be exported will be completely organic.The Oman company is setting up the world’s biggest curcumin extraction plant in Salalah Free Zone based on the turmeric imported from Waigaon in Samudrapur tehsil of Wardha district. FBO is also setting a grading and processing plant at Waigaon so that best quality turmeric could be supplied to Oman on a regular basis. This plant will be run by Loharikar and her team.“We will be like a mediator between the turmeric growing farmers from Waigaon and surrounding areas and FBO. Waigaon Haldi Farmers Producers Organization (WHFPO), a farmers’ cooperative, too has entered into an agreement with the Oman firm,” Loharikar told TOI.Alok Agrowal, CEO of Fortune Bio Organics who was in Wardha on Wednesday for signing of various agreements on the project, told TOI the firm aimed at involving at least 800 farmers for growing haldi of desired quality for the firm. “At present, WHFPO has 200 members but Loharikar will work towards reaching 800 farmers to meet our requirements. The project at present is planned for 21 years with pricing renewal every three years,” he said.Agrowal said his firm was planning to produce curcumin extract to be used for manufacturing anti-cancer and other medicines on large scale for global distribution. “Waigaon farmers are growing turmeric organically but traditionally for years. They neither have the technology to increase productivity nor are aware of the importance of their produce. Hence SDF will educate farmers, give them the technology and buy back their produce,” he said.For export, turmeric should contain a minimum of 6% curcumin. Mitest Murudkar, Loharikar’s partner, said his company will be sending the first consignment of 50 tonnes on trial basis in December this year. “Farmers in Waigaon and surrounding areas are capable of generating 5,000 to 6,000 tonnes turmeric but they are satisfied with whatever they are generating now. We will be technically supporting them with additional inputs from seed selection, use of biofertilizers to harvesting, grading, processing and packaging to optimize the production,” he said.Manohar Parchure, founder of WHFPO who is instrumental in producing organic cultivation in Waigaon belt, said the project was beginning with just Rs16 lakh sales but will be upgraded to Rs16 crore in two years. “We also plan to increase area under turmeric from existing 200 acres to 1000 acres,” he said.Vinayak Khasid of Kusmo Agro will also be supporting project by providing technological support, especially for testing the curcumin percentage and increasing the productivity. “I have been into residue free farming for last 12 years. I will give technology support right from sowing to harvesting,” he said.Wardha collector Shailesh Nawal during signing of the agreements told the farmers they should be honest in maintaining the quality and not miss on the rare opportunity that has come their way.

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