Kanganpur boasts country’s biggest turmeric market

Increased price leads to record production in successive years

KASUR:

Kanganpur in Kasur district is famous for its production of turmeric, a flowering plant belonging to the ginger family that is known for its medical benefits.

It can be cultivated all over the country but the Kasur, Okara, Lahore, Sialkot, Mardan, Bannu, Haripur, Mirpur Khas and Sanghar districts are its major producers.

A trader from Haripur, Hafiz Shoaib, said while speaking to The Express Tribune that a huge increase in the price of turmeric had resulted in its record production during the past four years. He said the district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had earlier been famous for growing turmeric, following which its production had started in other areas as well.

He said the production of turmeric in Kanganpur was high because of the suitable local land conditions.

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Dried turmeric can be used for years. After cleaning, it is boiled in large pans or with steam from boilers, which is time and cost effective. After boiling, the turmeric is dried in the sun and filled into sacks.

Traders buy and store the turmeric for several months to sell it at high prices.

Kanganpur nowadays has the largest market of turmeric in Pakistan.

Turmeric is used as spice in every home. Health experts say it helps alleviate conditions such as joint pain and contains antioxidants.

It is a slow growing plant that reaches the height of four feet in nine months.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2023.