India
Turmeric
Farm Locations
India is currently the largest producer, consumer, and exporter of turmeric in the world with Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, and Assam being some of the states with large areas being under cultivation.
We are currently working with farmers across India including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and the northeastern state of Meghalaya to bring you 3 different varieties of turmeric with different levels of curcumin, the principal curcuminoid of turmeric.
The varieties currently on offer include IISR-Prathibha, Salem, and Lakadong, these can be supplied in the following formats, whole dried rhizomes or bulbs, whole dried fingers, fine powder, and extra fine powder.
The Sabor Co. prides itself in supplying spices that are traceable back to the farms where they are grown.
Procuring directly from farmers in an equitable & sustainable manner some of the finest and freshly harvested spices.
We have complete control over the supply chain from procurement & packaging in India to distribution, both at a wholesale and retail level across Australia.
Alleppey District, Kerala, India
Our farmer partner in Kerala provides the IISR Pratibha variety of turmeric grown while following organic farming principles.
This particular variety has been developed by the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) and is known to have a curcumin content of upwards of 5%.
It is worth mentioning that there is another variety called IISR Alleppey Supreme that has been developed by the IISR. The Pratibha and Alleppey Supreme varieties are quite similar in terms of curcumin levels and appearance when ground however they are not the same.
The main difference between the two varieties is the potential yield per hectare, with the Pratibha variety yielding almost double the amount as compared to Allepey Supreme.
Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India
Named after the district it is grown in, we procure the Salem variety of turmeric from our farmer partner who has been involved in agriculture for more than 6 decades.
The Salem variety is commercially traded as Madras turmeric because of the port which it was traded from historically. This variety is bright or golden yellow in colour and is one of the most subtle varieties of turmeric i.e. less earthy. The subtleness is what makes it a popular choice as this variety can be found on supermarket shelves across the world.
The curcumin content of the Salem variety is between 2-3% on an average.
Cultivated by our farmer partner without the use of any chemical fertilisers or pesticides.
West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India
Home to a naturally occurring variety of turmeric that is known to have one of the highest curcumin levels in the world (8-12%), Lakadong turmeric.
Cultivated at an elevation of 1275 MASL by our farmer partner while following Indigenous methods of cultivation that include no use of pesticides or chemical fertilsers.
Harvesting Season
Each turmeric variety has its own sowing and harvesting season, the crop is generally ready for harvest in 7-9 months. December to March is considered the harvesting time across various regions of India.
The plants are ready for harvesting when the leaves and stems start to dry out and turn brown.
Harvesting involves removing the whole plant from the ground and put through a number of different processes before the final product is ready for human consumption.
Varieties of Indian Turmeric
There are approximately 30 varieties of turmeric found in India that are grown in different states and regions.
Some of the important cultivar varieties include Duggirala, Tekurpeta, Sugandham, Amalapuram, Erode local, Alleppey, Moovattupuzha, and Lakadong.
And some of the improved varieties include IISR-Prathibha, IISR-Prabha, Roma, Rajendra Sonia, and IISR Alleppey, based on their mean yield, curcumin levels, Oleoresin, and essential oil content.
While aroma and colour are often used as important indicators of quality, curcumin levels of a given variety are the best way of judging the quality of the produce.
Grades of Indian Turmeric
According to AGMARK, the Indian government agency responsible for putting forward quality and grading standards for agricultural products, turmeric is graded in a whole format i.e. as rhizomes rather than a powdered format.
Bulk rhizomes can be made up of bulbs, fingers, and splits.
The factors to consider when grading turmeric for a lot include the cleanliness of the final product, the hardness of the finger, the percentage of broken fingers, the percentage of foreign matter, the percentage of defectives, and the percentage of bulbs.
One other important factor to be considered is also the percentage of curcumin levels. Each variety has a different percentage of curcumin level as discussed above and this is what lends turmeric its anti-inflammatory properties.
The tables below shows the standards as set by AGMARK for different varieties that are commonly traded from India.
Grades of Alleppey Variety Turmeric Fingers
| Grade | Flexibility | Broken pieces fingers <15mm ( no more than % by weight) | Foreign matter ( no more than % by weight) | Defectives ( no more than % by weight) | Percentage bulbs by weight max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Hard to touch | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Fair | Hard | 7 | 1.5 | 5 | 5 |
Grades of Other Variety Turmeric Fingers
| Grade | Flexibility | Broken pieces fingers <15mm ( no more than % by weight) | Foreign matter ( no more than % by weight) | Defectives ( no more than % by weight) | Percentage bulbs by weight max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special | Hard to touch, metallic twang when broken | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 2 |
| Good | Hard to touch, metallic twang when broken | 3 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 |
| Fair | Hard | 5 | 2 | 1.5 | 5 |
Grades of Rajapore Variety Turmeric Fingers
| Grade | Flexibility | Broken pieces fingers <15mm ( no more than % by weight) | Foreign matter ( no more than % by weight) | Defectives ( no more than % by weight) | Percentage bulbs by weight max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special | Hard to touch, metallic twang when broken | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Good | Hard to touch, metallic twang when broken | 5 | 1.5 | 5 | 3 |
| Fair | Hard | 7 | 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Not Specified | - | - | 4 | - | - |
Grades of Turmeric Bulbs
| Grade | Flexibility | Broken pieces fingers <15mm ( no more than % by weight) | Foreign matter ( no more than % by weight) | Defectives ( no more than % by weight) | Percentage bulbs by weight max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special | - | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| Good | - | - | 1.5 | 3 | - |
| Fair | - | - | 2 | 5 | - |
* The specifications provided above are approximate only and may vary based on the lot.