Sonia Gandhi buys Kandhamal Haldi (turmeric variety) at Delhi fair

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi visited Odisha stalls and purchased some packets of Kandhamal Haldi (turmeric variety) at the fifth edition of ‘Jaibik Mahotsav’ at Janpath Road in New Delhi.

Jharana Sahu of Shriya Women SHG was at her stall when Sonia Gandhi paid a visit to the mela. During her visit, she made her way to Jharana Sahu’s stall.

“I was just excited to see Sonia Gandhi at my stall. She purchased haldi powder from me and thanked all of us. She also enquired about the Kandhamal turmeric and wanted to know how they are grown, collected and processed,” Sahu said.

She also purchased some other products from Odisha stalls. The Odisha government has applied for a GI tag on Kandhamal haladi (turmeric variety). The golden yellow spice, named after the district where it is produced, has been cultivated since time immemorial and is known for its medicinal value.

Five SHGs from Odisha are also participating in this mela through Mission Shakti, of Odisha government. One group each from Daringbadi and K Nuagaon block in Kandhamal district are participating in this fair.

The main objective behind organising the fair is to give a platform to women farmers and entrepreneurs. It kicked off October 26 and will conclude November 4. Odisha Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Policy 2018